Bohunt School rated Outstanding in every category by Ofsted
At the end of April six inspectors from Ofsted spent two days observing lessons, meeting staff, quizzing students and looking through data in order to understand how well Bohunt meets the needs of its learners. Despite superb exam results placing the school as the 80th best state school in the country, tensions were high and nerves jangled. Last Friday their report was made public and they have graded Bohunt outstanding in every category. It is not the Ofsted report that makes Bohunt outstanding, but the innovation, ambition and confidence of its staff and students. In particular the report picks out the following:
'Teaching is typically outstanding and it is never less than good, which is why students make exceptional progress, both over time and in most subjects.'
'Students clearly enjoy learning. They appreciate and thrive on the carefully tailored and inspirational opportunities that the school provides.'
'Leadership and management are first rate at every level. The standard is set by the headteacher, whose leadership skills and ability to influence are exceptional.'
'High expectations, excellent subject knowledge and effective questioning underpin the outstanding quality of teaching. Lessons are typically taught in a way that both inspires and fosters students'curiosity.'
'Students take great pride in their school. They appreciate the care and respect they receive from the adults in the school. In turn they respond by contributing powerfully to the prevailing culture of mutual respect.'
Neil Strowger, headteacher of Bohunt School, said:
"I am incredibly proud of all of the work that staff and students have put in over a long period of time to make this result possible; I'm very glad they've got the recognition they deserve. I really look forward to working with the fantastic staff we have in order to make Bohunt even better. Our plans to build on the incredibly successful STEM Festival, which had over 3000 visitors, are very exciting, we've just taken delivery of our innovative new teaching block and we are just about to be the first school in the country to have a Mandarin immersion group."
Bohunt are certainly not keeping the secrets of success to themselves, indeed they are playing a major role in the debate on where education should go. On the 1 May Bohunt were the lead speakers at a Reform (a major, London-based, think tank) event on creating a globally competitive education. The write-up on the meeting, available on Reform's website, ends with the following:
'Bohunt has transformed itself into one of the best schools in the country without spending more money. Many of the principles of Bohunt’s success could and should be adopted by all schools. Setting a culture of high expectation is perhaps the most important.'
For the full Ofsted report click on the following link