Wilmington Grammar School for Girls

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 November 2022

Pupils are extremely proud of their school. They love being part of a community which promotes diversity and equality. Strong, positive, professional relationships between pupils and staff lie at the centre of the school's ethos. Pupils model the school's 'REACH' values of respect and resilience, equality, achievement, community, honesty and integrity, throughout the school day. Behaviour is excellent. Bullying is very rare, but pupils are rightly confident that leaders would act quickly to stop any that did happen. Pupils are articulate and passionate about the world that they live in. They benefit from numerous opportunities to develop their leadership skills and to share their opinions, especially through the superbly organised student council. Pupils participate in a wide range of clubs and visits. The 'virtual visit' to China was especially popular, as are the preparations for a production of the musical 'Matilda'. Sixth-form students enjoy meeting new friends when they participate in a range of additional academic, voluntary and sporting activities, known as 'electives'. Pupils achieve very well in most subjects. Leaders have raised their expectations of the quality of curriculum and teaching. Leaders are well on their way to achieving their vision for a high-quality education across the whole school.

What the school should improve

• In a small minority of subjects, including in the sixth form, the sequencing and progression of the curriculum is not as coherent as it could be and there is some inconsistency in teachers' practice. As a result, some pupils do not learn as much as they could. Senior leaders should ensure that they continue to support subject leaders to develop well-sequenced curriculums with clearly identified components that lead to ambitious end points, along with ensuring that teachers benefit from a strong quality of continuous, professional development. This will enable staff to raise their expectations for pupils' learning still further.

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