STAFF at a secondary school in Hartford are ‘very pleased’ after it retained its ‘Good’ Ofsted rating but are 'ambitious to go further'.

Inspectors from the education watchdog visited Hartford CofE High School on June 20 and 21.

Head teacher, Rachel Pickerill, says she is 'very pleased' with the outcome, but added the school has 'further ambitions'. 

In its first inspection since the Covid pandemic, the school was rated ‘Good’ in all four Ofsted assessment categories: quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management.

In the report published on Monday, November 13, the school was praised for its ‘broad and ambitious’ curriculum, which ‘includes practical subjects’.

They were also impressed by school leaders' strong focus on 'enrichment by the arts'.

Mrs Pickerill added: “We’re very pleased with the report, especially at a time when the benchmark for ‘Good’ is as high as it has ever been.

“Our strengths noted by Ofsted include calm classrooms, support for students with special educational needs and disabilities, and effective safeguarding arrangements.

“Our school was in the top five within the Cheshire West region for English and Maths GCSE results this year, and we consistently perform well in all key indicators by which schools are measured, including pupil progress.

“However, our ambitions go further. We are working to ensure all our students have an outstanding experience at Hartford, feel happy and secure here, and are empowered to reach their full potential.”

In the report, Ofsted lead inspector, Erica Sharman, said: “Pupils are happy in this school, and they say they like their teachers and respect other pupils.

“Most pupils say there is someone they can talk to if they have a concern, and leaders usually deal with bullying effectively.

“Leaders have developed a broad and ambitious curriculum for pupils.

“They have placed the suite of subjects which make up the English Baccalaureate at the heart of it.

“Pupils also have the option of studying practical subjects. The curriculum is enriched further by the strong focus leaders place on the arts.

“Most teachers have strong subject knowledge. They told inspectors they really enjoy working together to determine the best way to teach the curriculum.

“Teachers typically present learning clearly to pupils, which enables them to achieve well across many subjects.

“Overall, teachers use assessment strategies well to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and quickly address any misconceptions.