Pride and delight following Ofsted report

Holy Trinity School, in Gossops Green, underwent a short inspection on March 21 and the findings were published on Monday (April 23).

The school was last inspected in November 2014, and in his latest report, inspector Paul Metcalf said it still deserved its ‘good’ rating.

Mr Metcalf visited 31 lessons during his inspection, speaking with students and examining their work.

In his report, he praised the “strong leadership” and “clear sense of purpose and direction” shown by headteacher the Rev Chrissie Millwood, since her appointment two years ago.

He said: “You have worked tirelessly with senior leaders, middle leaders, staff, pupils and parents to bring about improvements, especially in the quality of teaching and, more recently, in giving a greater focus to pupils’ learning.

“Your strong commitment to every pupil succeeding, irrespective of their background or ability, is shared by governors, leaders and staff.”

Mr Metcalf recognised the “noticeable improvements” made in maths and science – the former achieved with support from an ‘outstanding’ school – and the progress made to close the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers.

He also noted that the pupils rated their teachers “very highly” and there was a “strong drive” throughout the school to raise expectations and aspirations all around.

When it came to the next steps for Holy Trinity, Mr Metcalf called for teaching and learning to be more consistent and for improvements to the outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

Rev Millwood said: “I was extremely proud of both the students, staff and governors on the day of inspection, as indeed I always am. I am delighted that the high standards of the school were recognised by the inspectors and I am considering a way in which this can be rewarded for the students and staff in the coming weeks.

“We must now focus to make sure that all of our students have the opportunity to reach their potential, especially our Year 11 and Year 13 students who will be sitting their exams this summer.”

To read the report, log on to Ofsted's website.