Ofsted praises Edwards Hall School

Government inspectors visited Edwards Hall to check on its progress, after it was rated inadequate in a previous inspection.

They discovered that the school in Macmurdo Road , Leigh was thriving, and awarded it a rating of satisfactory, with an even higher rating of good, for its capacity for sustained improvement.

 Among the positive aspects noted by the inspectors were:

·         Leadership has been strengthened considerably

·         Senior leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the school's strengths and areas to develop

·         Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school's improvement journey

·         There are clear signs throughout the school that attainment is rising

·         Good quality marking and verbal feedback are found in most classes and this is helping pupils to make better progress

·         Relationships between pupils and teachers are strong and positive

Inspectors reported that the school had progressed so well that it: "no longer requires significant improvement."

In a letter to Edwards Hall School pupils, Ofsted inspector Michael Sheridan said: "I was very impressed to hear from some of you about how you have helped to create the rules to improve behaviour in school. I was also pleased to hear from you that behaviour has improved. We found behaviour to be good - well done."

In describing their learning, Mr Sheridan told pupils: "In the good lessons that we saw, we found that you worked hard and made good progress. We were particularly impressed with how well you knew what you were learning about and how you used the feedback in your books to make your work even better."  

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Interim Corporate Director for Children and Learning, Sue Cook said: "Congratulations to the staff and pupils of Edwards Hall School for their productive hard work which has made such noticeably excellent progress.  

"It is especially pleasing to note that the school has been rated so highly for its capacity for sustained improvement. This means all the building blocks are in place to help the school continue to develop from strength to strength."  

The School's Head Jim Johnson said: "I am extremely proud of the considerable improvements we have made since the last inspection.  The school is now in an excellent position to build on these achievements."