Inspectors have praised a Huddersfield school for fostering a “rare sense of unity and togetherness” which they say “pervades the school.”
Shelley College, a secondary school with around 1,300 pupils, has been judged to be Outstanding overall and in five key areas including behaviour and attitudes and the quality of education. It was previously judged to be Outstanding in a report by Ofsted in 2013.
The latest report, from lead inspector Matthew Vellensworth, says: “Ambition and aspiration are at the heart of everything that Shelley College does. Pupils thrive in calm, focused lessons where teachers have the highest expectations of them.
“Pupils meet these expectations and achieve highly.”
Behaviour is ‘exceptional’ and the school has a wider array of extra-curricular activities including the recent addition of clubs for boxing and dance.
Shelley College Principal Dave Wadsworth
The report, following a two-day inspection in December, says that the “consistently high-quality delivery of the curriculum is remarkable”.
One strength of the school is the way it develops pupils’ resilience, according to the report.
“The personal, social and health education curriculum focuses on ensuring pupils can express their ideas independently, confidently and respectfully. Pupils experience the reality of preparing for possible future careers through activities that are planned with local employers. Pupils are eager to take advantage of the rich variety of clubs on offer. For example, the Christmas showcase is a prestigious event in which many pupils participate.
“The impressive rehearsals seen by inspectors show that pupils are supported to perform at the highest levels.”
Ofsted noted that many students leave the 200-pupil sixth form to attend prestigious universities, while other pupils are supported to pursue alternative options.
The school is part of the Share Multi-Academy Trust, with Dave Wadsworth as executive principal and Jack Wyatt as head of school. The Trust is run by chief executive John McNally, and overseen by a board of trustees which is chaired by Daniel Quinn.
According to Ofsted, Trust leaders ensure they receive clear information about work taking place in the school which they use to challenge the school to improve.
“For example, a recent focus on the performance of disadvantaged pupils has led to significant improvements in attendance and academic outcomes for these pupils. Staff are proud of the work that they do with students and pupils at the school. The support that they receive from school leaders is of an exceptional quality and allows them to meet the expectations upon them.
“Leaders and staff strive to improve their already first-rate work to reach even higher quality. This shows the high ambition, unity and togetherness evident at the school.”
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