Following a recent Estyn monitoring inspection visit, Newport High School has been removed from special measures.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales has confirmed that the school has made sufficient progress and no longer requires this level of intervention.
Councillor Jane Mudd, leader of the council, said: “This decision is testament to the hard work and dedication of the head teacher, staff and governing body. I’m delighted to see that Estyn has recognised the great strides made by the school and I’m sure that will continue. Congratulations to all concerned.”
Head teacher Gill Lee said: “We are so pleased that Estyn has found that the school’s progress means it can be taken out of special measures. This is not just because of the work done by a few, it is an achievement by the whole school community and we are determined to get better and better.”
Councillor Davies Deb Davies, the council’s cabinet member for education, said: “This is excellent news and I would like to thank the head, staff and governing body for their determination to raise standards for the benefit of all pupils.
“Newport now has no schools in special measures and the council will continue to support its schools to continually improve to ensure children in the city receive the best possible education.”
Councillor James Clarke, chair of the governing body, added: “As governors, we have been closely working with the head and ensuring that we are working as a team in the best interests of the school. The head teacher and staff have done a great job to get the school out of special measures and together we will make sure the school continues its improvement journey.”
The school has now shown good progress again the recommendations made by Estyn and the report highlights include:
- The headteacher and her senior leadership team communicate their vision, based on equality, commitment, and integrity, clearly within the school. This is fundamental to the school’s ethos and underpins all its work. It has helped leaders to secure suitable improvements in some important aspects of the school’s work, including the quality of teaching and assessment.
- In lessons, the majority of pupils generally make sound progress in their knowledge, understanding and skills. These pupils demonstrate a positive attitude to their learning and participate well in a range of activities.
- In many lessons, teachers develop good working relationships with their classes, which helps to promote a positive learning environment.
- Pupils now benefit from a wider range of worthwhile opportunities to develop their literacy skills across the curriculum.
- The school has raised the profile of developing pupils’ oracy in different subjects and pupils enjoy and benefit from discussing topical issues including the unacceptability of misogyny and whether sport teaches us good values.
- Senior leaders’ vision of how to improve the support for pupils with additional learning needs (ALN) continues to impact positively on current practice.
