A recent inspection by the education charity Challenge Partners has resulted in St John’s Marlborough being named as a Leading School. The Challenge Partners Quality Assurance Review took place in early November and was a rigorous process involving four senior leaders from other schools and two lead reviewers, who thoroughly scrutinised all activities across Years 7 to 13, including exam outcomes, lessons, pastoral support, and attendance.
Ian Tucker, St John’s Principal, said he was delighted with the outcome of the rigorous inspection. He commented,“This success is testament to the hard work and dedication that goes on in St John’s every day. While we were well prepared for this review and showed ourselves at our best over the three days, it is the daily commitment and hard work from all our staff, driven by our clear moral purpose of doing the best we can to develop the young people in our care into flourishing young adults, that shone through in the report”.
St John’s was last inspected by Ofsted in 2014 and was graded as Outstanding. With the encouraging findings delivered by the Challenge Partners report, leadership and staff are confident that the school is operating well and is in a good position when the next inspection falls due.
The inspectors were impressed with the quality of leadership at St John’s, with the teachers’ excellent subject knowledge and with their high expectations of students. St John’s students were also praised, and the report commented on the exemplary behaviour shown by students throughout the inspection, stating “Students are polite, open and articulate, making it a pleasure to engage with them. Excellent relationships between teachers and students contribute to students growing in confidence in their learning.”
Other areas of success highlighted in the inspection report included St John’s inclusive learning environment, benefiting students who have special educational needs or disabilities, and those who are disadvantaged, by addressing weaknesses with a determination to meet the needs of the most vulnerable. The school’s focus on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion was also noted, and a student comment that “It is OK to be different in our school. Some of our friends attend a LGBT+ club which supports their well-being” was included as an example in the inspectors’ report. The rich variety of extra-curricular activities at St John’s was also noted, as were the school’s systems enabling teachers to track the progress of every student.
Challenge Partners is an education charity through which schools collaborate to improve each other and the education system as a whole, so all children benefit. To find out more click here.
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