SET Ixworth School celebrates 'good' Ofsted having 'improved hugely'

A secondary school is celebrating a ‘good’ Ofsted having ‘improved hugely’ since its last inspection.

The education watchdog found that pupils at SET Ixworth School ‘achieve well at GCSE in a wide range of subjects’ because leaders and trustees of its multi-academy trust ‘focus on making it the best school it can be’.

SET Ixworth, part of the Seckford Education Trust and previously known as Ixworth Free School, was rated as ‘requires improvement’ at its last Ofsted inspection in 2017.

Headteacher Mark Barrow said: “We’re delighted that Ofsted has recognised the work that we do and the positive journey we’ve had since the last inspection.

“The report is a testament to the hard working staff, the huge effort from students and the support from parents, carers and the trust.”

Ofsted visited the school, in Walsham Road, Ixworth, last month and noted that ‘pupils leave the school, not only knowing a lot about the subjects they have studied, but also as confident young people’.

Teaching is ‘strong and improving’ at the school, which has 302 pupils, who are ‘well prepared for adult life’.

Pupils and teachers ‘know each other extremely well, their support and care for each other are excellent and bullying is rare and dealt with quickly when necessary’.

Ofsted also highlighted Ixworth’s enrichment programme, which includes the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme and British sign language.

Mr Barrow said: “I was pleased they could see we focus on character development
and enrichment as much as the academic rigours.”

The report is a testament to the hard working staff, the huge effort from students and the support from parents, carers and the trust - Mark Barrow

Among the ways the school can improve further, Ofsted said every curriculum subject should incorporate ‘effective processes for understanding what individual pupils know, remember and can do’.

Mr Barrow said there were ‘no surprises in the report’ and they would ‘continue to work hard to achieve outstanding’.