The Old Priory School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 22 October 2024

Every pupil feels welcome and valued at this school. Pupils have often experienced disruption in their education prior to joining the school. Many begin their time at this school with a negative view of education. The school's work to remove barriers, and to challenge pupils' negative views of education is exceptional. This leads to pupils feeling safe and settled and attending regularly. The school has a transformative impact on pupils' behaviour and attitudes. Staff empower pupils to understand their own feelings and behaviours. Consequently, pupils learn to identify why things might not have gone well, and how to do better next time. Staff expertly plan for each pupils' success, but also know exactly how to respond in the moment if a pupil is struggling. Staff are meticulous in their work to understand exactly what each pupil needs to thrive at school. The school's academic aspirations for every pupil are high. Pupils engage well with teachers who are expert in their subjects. As a result, pupils achieve well. Staff ensure that every pupil benefits from the wide range of enriching opportunities offered by the school. The school's vocational offer, encompassing woodwork, bricklaying, bike maintenance and cooking, contributes strongly to pupils' life skills and preparation for adulthood. Pupils greatly value the opportunities the school provides.

What the school should improve

• The school has not effectively planned how to develop pupils writing fluency. This impacts negatively on how well some pupils are able to access the school's full curriculum. The school should develop a clear approach to developing pupils' writing fluency so that they can record their work with greater confidence, ease and willingness to better access the full curriculum.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)