Headteacher of Arthur Mellows Village College in Glinton ‘immensely proud’ after inspection labels school ‘outstanding’ in four categories

A school headteacher says he is ‘immensely proud’ following the results of a recent inspection.

Arthur Mellows Village College in Glinton was rated ‘outstanding’ in four out of five categories following an Ofsted report published on Tuesday (June 17).

The school was described as welcoming and vibrant, where pupils are happy, friendly, highly respectful, and motivated and where lasting friendships are made.

The full inspection report praised the school’s exemplary personal development, ambitious leadership, pupils outstanding behaviour and attitudes, a quality of education where teaching is typically strong and pupils achieve well, and a sixth form of the highest quality in all areas.

The head John Gilligan said: “We are immensely proud of this report.

“To be judged as outstanding in so many key areas is testament to the relentless dedication of our staff, the excellent conduct of our students, and the strength of our wider school community.

“While we are pleased with the ‘Good’ rating in the quality of education, we view it as a platform to continue improving and innovating our curriculum to achieve even greater impact for every learner.

“Pupils told inspectors how they were proud of our school; I would echo that but add how proud I am of them."

The official Ofsted judgments highlighted:

* Outstanding behaviour and attitudes - the report describes pupil conduct as excellent and pupils as polite, respectful and caring. Classrooms are calm, focused places where pupils work hard and show pride in their learning and pupils with SEND are particularly well supported to manage their emotions and help them flourish.

* Outstanding personal development - This provision is described as exceptional. Pupils benefit from a wide-range of experiences that help them grow in character and confidence so that they are exceptionally well prepared for their next steps. Pupils feel valued, supported and listened to.

* Outstanding leadership and management - leaders are described as highly ambitious for all pupils. They place the well-being and success of pupils at the centre of every decision.

* Outstanding sixth form - The sixth form is described as a place where students benefit from an extensive mix of courses, personalised care and high-quality advice and guidance.

* Good quality of education – The report states an ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of pupils is taught well by teachers with strong subject knowledge so that new ideas are explained clearly and understanding checked carefully.

The report, carried out in May, also highlighted an area where the school can improve.

It stated: “In a small number of lessons, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding precisely enough or adapt their teaching appropriately to ensure pupils meet the full demands of the curriculum.

“As a result, some pupils are not fully supported to access more complex learning over time.

“The school should ensure that all teachers check pupils’ understanding consistently well, and adapt their teaching where needed, so that all pupils are fully supported to meet the demands of the curriculum.”

A total of 1,657 pupils aged 11 to 18 attend the school, with 345 in the sixth form.

Meanwhile, another glowing Ofsted report praised the ‘inclusive and nurturing’ Prince William School in Oundle

Behaviour was also said to be ‘exemplary’ in the new Ofsted report, published this month.

Ofsted carried out the ungraded inspection in April to measure how the school is performing since its last graded inspection in 2020, when it was assessed as ‘good’.