I am very pleased to share that Ofsted has rated our school as ‘Outstanding’ in all areas, the highest possible outcome.

The report, which can be found here https://www.beddingtonparkacademy.org/our-academy/ofsted-inspections emphasised the remarkable work that has been undertaken since the last inspection in 2020, when the school was put into ‘Special Measures’.

Ofsted emphasised that our pupils are “extremely proud of their school”, reflecting that efforts are taken to ensure that our pupils are at the heart of everything we do at Beddington Park.

The report also commended the “high expectations” which have helped our pupils develop into “highly motivated learners”, reflecting the positive attitude to learning that is embedded across our school.

We are incredibly proud of this report, which is a reflection of our entire school community. All staff, pupils, and parents should feel proud of this incredible result.

Further highlights from the fantastic report included:

• The quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision were all rated ‘Outstanding’.

• Teaching is exemplary because teachers are “confident in teaching all subjects.” This means that “expectations of all pupils are consistently high and realised in lessons”.

• The curriculum is well-planned and varied, with pupils being exposed to “rich vocabulary and learning opportunities”.

• Teachers effectively address gaps in pupils’ knowledge, meaning they “deepen their subject-specific understanding over time”.

• There are clear procedures and processes in place to ensure that staff identify pupils with SEND swiftly. The school works closely with outside agencies to ensure that the appropriate training and adaptations are in place.

• Reading is taught “consistently”; and subsequently “pupils read confidently and enjoy supporting one another”.

• Staff help pupils to understand about healthy relationships in an age-appropriate way. They encourage pupils to keep physically and mentally healthy.

• Their work on developing pupils’ character is exemplary.

• Ofsted highlighted the behaviour at Beddington Park is excellent, citing that pupils treat each other respectfully and “behave exceptionally well in class”.

• The extra-curricular is broad and enriching; the school offers clubs in “sports to crafts, yoga and languages”, all of which are hugely popular amongst pupils.

• The school has very positive relationships with families with “impressive” connections made with parents.

When the school joined STEP Academy Trust in 2020, the team worked together to create a rigorous and robust improvement strategy, that was bespoke to our specific needs and tailored to support our pupils and the wider community.

This involved the Trust gaining a deep understanding of the community, pupils, and their experiences. Meanwhile, the school collaborated with the Trust’s ‘Teaching School’ to consolidate best practice to establish a strong and well-researched curriculum foundation. Thus, moving forward together, the Trust and Beddington Park had two core foundations from which everything else developed: the pupil body and delivering excellent teaching.

Whilst we are celebrating this exceptional transformation, we are not complacent. We will continue to work hard to continue delivering the very best education for our pupils. At Beddington Park, and STEP Academy Trust, our top priority is to improve the life chances of every child and this Mission underpins our delivering the very best education possible.

I want to express my sincere thanks for your support over the last three years and for being on board with our journey of improvement. Our parent community is a vital part of our success, and this achievement is a result of the close links we have built together. I hope you feel proud of this result and feel excited about the direction we are travelling in as a school community.