KESGRAVE High School's headteacher today spoke of his pride at a glowing Ofsted report which heaped particular praise on the school's sixth form centre.

KESGRAVE High School's headteacher today spoke of his pride at a glowing Ofsted report which heaped particular praise on the school's sixth form centre.

George Thomas said he was very pleased with the inspection as a whole and delighted with the report's findings with regard to the sixth form, which only opened in 2001, and received a grade of 'outstanding' throughout.

Mr Thomas said: “The sixth form has only been open for four years and this is the first Ofsted report since.

“To get outstanding throughout the report with regard to the sixth form is excellent.

“There were critics at the time we were creating the sixth form who said we couldn't do it, so we have proved them wrong.

“We're very pleased with it.”

In the report, the inspectors said Kesgrave had a number of outstanding features and was an effective school, providing pupils with a good education, although the school's own very challenging targets were not met.

However, the sixth form won high praise, with the inspectors finding that students made “outstanding and rapid” progress.

The report states: “Standards reached are exceptionally high and students' examination results are significantly higher than those which are achieved by students nationally.”

Further positive comments were made about the school's provision of personal development for pupils, teaching and learning, curriculum, and leadership and management.

The report did outline some areas in need of improvement including increasing the progress made by pupils in key stage three and also reviewing the balance of the curriculum for key stage three to ensure all subjects receive the time and emphasis required.

Kesgrave's last inspection was in 2001, shortly before the sixth form centre opened, and Mr Thomas said the report confirmed continued progress at the already high-achieving school.

Weblink: www.kesgrave.suffolk.sch.uk