Sexey’s School celebrates “Good” Ofsted rating

STAFF and students at Sexey’s School in Bruton are celebrating after it was rated “Good” in its latest full Ofsted inspection. The positive report raises the school’s education grading to “good” in all five areas of the inspection framework and is the third “good” report the school has received following their Ofsted Social Care and SIAMS judgement.

Inspectors said: “Pupils thrive at Sexey’s School. They are happy and safe. Staff know them well as individuals. Pupils recognise and appreciate this. The school has high academic expectations of all pupils. Staff start from the position that all pupils can succeed.”

Inspectors praised leaders for working very successfully to improve the school and highlighted that they “have an ambitious vision for the curriculum, a clear rationale for the way it is designed and have developed a shared view of the best way to teach it”.

A key highlight of the report was the school’s achievements in the English baccalaureate and recognised this as being “at the heart of the school’s academically rigorous curriculum, with nine out of ten pupils going on to acquire qualifications in this range of subjects”.

Inspectors also praised the Sixth Form for its “impressive range of courses for students to choose from” and that “students achieve well and move on successfully to the next stage of their education or into employment”. Having joined the Quantock Education Trust in 2021, the report highlighted that trustees and trust leaders have a strong understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development, particularly sixthform provision.

Headteacher, Helen Cullen, said: “I will be forever grateful to the Governors and staff who put their trust in me to lead the school through the last four years, I am in absolute awe and filled with immense pride for what the Sexey’s staff team have achieved.

“To work relentlessly to move a school from Serious Weaknesses to Good, in all categories whilst also juggling a pandemic with school closures affecting teaching and learning, is no small achievement.”