‘Good’ news as Ofsted praises staff and students at Birchwood High School
Ofsted inspectors have praised Bishop’s Stortford’s Birchwood High School as a “warm, inclusive community” where diversity is celebrated.
Five education watchdogs visited the Parsonage Lane academy for two days in January to scrutinise staff and students.
Their newly published report judges the 1,425-pupil secondary good in all areas, maintaining its previous rating.
The inspectors noted: “Pupils at Birchwood High School know they are valued for who they are. Pupils accept that everyone is different.
“Pupils’ talents in sports and creative arts are nurtured and provide valuable opportunities to represent the school.
“New interests are fostered through the range of clubs on offer. Pupils take great pride in the improvements they have achieved as part of the school’s pupil leadership team.”
The inspectors also highlighted recent changes, including a redesigned curriculum, to match its “renewed ambition for what pupils can achieve”.
Students - including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and 230 sixth-formers - work hard and achieve academic success.
The youngsters also behave well, but the inspectors note that recent changes in how staff support and manage pupils are not yet fully embedded.
They said: “This makes it difficult for some pupils to understand how to meet the school’s high expectations. Consequently, while most learning happens in a calm, focused environment, some pupils’ learning is interrupted by the behaviour of others.”
Birchwood said those areas identified for improvements aligned with the secondary’s priorities, saying: “This year, we have also placed a strong emphasis on ensuring that every lesson takes place in a calm, focused environment. While most learning already happens without disruption, we remain committed to making this the case for all students, in every lesson.”
The inspection was principal Sam Griffin’s first in charge and the first since the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said: “This is a great testament to the work everyone at Birchwood does on a day-to-day basis. I was particularly pleased that the inspectors recognised the values we share as a school and the atmosphere this creates for our learners. I am very proud to be part of Birchwood and hope that all of our school community are as well.”
Chair of trustees Gillian Turner, who took up her role in September 2023 when Mr Griffin joined Birchwood, succeeding Chris Ingate, said: “On behalf of the trustees, I would like to thank Mr Griffin and all the Birchwood staff for the work they do every day to provide students with a safe and welcoming place to learn and to support them as they find their place as young adults in our community.
“An inspection is a great opportunity to take stock both on what is going well and how to improve. We look forward to using the insights from the report to support the school to go from strength to strength.”
