Gets 'outstanding' for progress from Challenge Partners Review

Chiswick School has won praise for its drive to improve student progress, with particular mention for its History department, following a visit by an external team of reviewers last week.

The team, led by an OFSTED inspector, also included a serving head teacher and senior staff from other schools from the Challenge Partners organisation, a group of some 400 schools nationally who submit themselves to annual reviews in order to keep improving.

The review consisted of lessons observations, an analysis of performance data and interviews with students and staff.
The report was full of praise for the school and the progress it has made recently.

‘The senior team continues to have a relentless drive to improve student attainment and progress as well as raise student aspirations through a variety of whole school effective improvement strategies’ the report said.

It also commended teachers on the quality of lessons saying that "Lessons are well-planned, with planning to stretch and challenge the most able evident in the best lessons’.

The review team also commented on the stimulating learning environment the school provides and strong evidence of collaborative learning.

There was lots of praise for the students too. ‘Levels of engagement were high in nearly all lessons’, the team said and they were very impressed by how students related to staff and the number of after school activities they attended. They also said that student progress was exceptional and congratulated the school on the upward trend in GCSE results.

The History department received a special mention as an area of excellence. They quoted the culture of academic excellence in History, the way the staff worked together as a team, and the high expectations staff have of students.

The report finished with recognition of the impact of the range of links the school has forged, including international as well as local partnerships. The school says the review is a vindication of all the hard work teachers, students and others have put in over the last few years.

‘This is fantastic news,’ said a delighted Mr. Ryan, Head teacher. ‘Everyone deserves huge congratulations for what has been achieved. There is still more work to do to ensure an OFSTED inspection delivers the same verdict but hearing the word 'outstanding' used about Chiswick School will give us all a huge boost.’

March 28, 2014