Monday 28th November 2011

School Inspectorate, Ofsted, has just published it's Annual Report 2010/11, drawing on over 31,000 inspection visits across the schools, early years, children's social care and learning and skills sectors of England.

This report highlights where improvements are being made but also the need for greater ambition from services for children, young people and learners that are no better than satisfactory.

Alongside the Annual Report, Ofsted released a full list of those childminders, nurseries, schools, colleges, adult learning providers and social care providers judged outstanding in the past year.

In Derbyshire there are 51 providers, including 7 schools, 37 childcare providers, 1 children's centre and 6 children's social care providers which have been rewarded with this top judgement in 2010/11.* 

One local school has gained special recognition for it's efforts.Unstone St Mary's Infant School in Dronfield is currently the only primary school in the county to receive outstanding status on the back of its last 2 Ofsted reports. And with just 57 pupils, it's a very small school compared to other primary schools across the country.

The school has also won an impressive number of national awards including health promoting school status, a Basic Skills award (for the 4th time) and a full eco schools green flag, an anti-bullying award and the full international schools award.

Headteacher Stefanie Creer said, "For such a small school, gaining outstanding status twice is a big achievement. Our last inspection was in May this year.  We have such a fantastic team here who pull out all the stops to provide the very best education for a diverse range of pupils.

"I hope being featured in the Ofsted Annual Report will bring an even greater sense of pride for everyone involved at the school, including staff, pupils, parents and the local community."

Commenting on the successful achievement of all these local providers, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, Miriam Rosen said, "Everyone who has contributed towards the delivery of the outstanding services across Derbyshire deserves our recognition. From the visits I make around the country, I know just how much hard work and dedication goes in to delivering the best outcomes for children, young people and learners. I hope others will be inspired by these successful providers."

Across England, the Annual Report reflected positively on the decrease in the number of inadequate schools and the increased speed with which schools are coming out of 'special measures'.  However, it also revealed that:

1. 14% of schools inspected this year, nearly 800, have been judged satisfactory for the second time and only have satisfactory capacity to improve
2. 16 of the 84 colleges inspected were satisfactory for the third time in a row.

The report highlights continuing concerns about the quality of provision for those children and learners from deprived backgrounds or who may be vulnerable. The more deprived the family a child comes from, the more likely they are to attend an inadequate school.

The fifth of schools serving the most deprived pupils were four times more likely to be inadequate at inspection this year than the fifth of schools serving the least deprived.

There are also substantial differences in quality of childcare between more and less affluent areas. But there is also evidence of how it can be done well - this year alone, 85 schools serving pupils from the most deprived families were judged outstanding and the gap in standards between early years providers in the most and least deprived areas has closed slightly.

Reflecting on the findings of the Annual Report, Miriam Rosen, HMCI, said, "Inspection is about helping services to improve so that children, young people and learners of all ages can benefit from the very best. It is therefore encouraging to see from this year's Annual Report the strides being taken by some of those who have previously been judged to be failing.

"However, it is a concern that those very children and young people who most need the best services are often those being let down. Our inspections show that providers can be outstanding even in the most difficult circumstances. The challenge must be to help others replicate such success and Ofsted has an important part to play in this by sharing good practice and raising expectations.”

Other national highlights from the report show that:

• Overall, 57% of inspected schools provided their pupils with good or outstanding education. This is in the context of a more risk-based approach to inspection, where outstanding schools were not routinely re-inspected.
  
  
• The childcare sector continues to perform well, with 74% of early years providers either good or outstanding.
  
  
• In the learning and skills sector, 39 out of the 84 colleges inspected this year were either good or outstanding.
  
  
• Of the 47 local authorities who received a full safeguarding inspection this year, nine were judged inadequate for services that keep children and young people safe; 25 were adequate and 13 were good.





 

 

 

 

 

 

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