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Ofsted Report
Dear parents and carers,
I have pleasure in enclosing the recent findings of our Ofsted inspection. The good news is that we are still rated to be a good school! Ofsted have raised the bar of what they expect of schools, and so being judged as good really is good.
I am so proud of our pupils, staff, governors, parents and carers for the way in which we work together as a school community. Whilst we don’t get everything right all the time, we are going from strength to strength. There is a very positive momentum as we continue our journey of improvement – which never really ends.
I say regularly to our staff, “We do things this way because it’s right for the children, not because Ofsted want it.” Although a school will always feel the pressure of an inspection, it is my view that we will continue to strengthen what we do because every single child deserves to have the very best. We will not rest on the good news of this judgement, but rather use it as motivation to develop our school further.
The inspectors agreed with us in what our next steps should be in terms of raising academic attainment; indeed they are things we are already working on. These areas are detailed more fully in the report, and it provides further validation for our school that we are improving in the right areas.
I would like to highlight the work of our governors. It’s a volunteer role with great responsibility, and an effective school simply cannot be good without a committed Governing Body. Graham Robins, our chair, leads the team very well, and we are all indebted to the time and energy that they freely give.
Finally, I want to thank each member of our staff. Since joining St Mark’s in September, I have found them to be passionate, hardworking and keen for every child to make strong progress. They make our school a great place to work through their team-spirit and dedication, and I am very grateful for them.
I wish you and your family a wonderful Easter break.
Charles Applegate
Head Teacher