Wheatley Park gets 'good' Ofsted rating again

Wheatley Park school retained its ‘good’ rating after a recent inspection by the national school standards body.

Inspectors from Ofsted reported that “the school’s values of ‘everyone learning, everyone caring’ are at the heart of everything leaders plan”.

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The report, which was released this week, added: “Respectful relationships between staff and pupils are the basis of the care shown at this school.

“This school community is a caring one. Pupils feel safe and well cared for. Bullying is very rare.”

Headteacher Tim Martin.

Inspectors also noted that leaders shared “the same vision and high expectations of themselves, the staff and the pupils.”

The report was welcomed by headteacher, Tim Martin, who said that the goal now was for the school to be rated outstanding at its next inspection.

He said: “The inspection process has given us a clear insight into what we need to do to achieve this exacting standard for the benefit of all our students.”

Mr Martin added that the good rating was “recognition for the hard work and professionalism demonstrated by staff throughout the challenging period of the pandemic.”

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The headteachers comments were echoed by Paul James, CEO of River Learning Trust (RLT), the Oxfordshire-based multi academy trust of which Wheatley Park is a part.

Mr James said: “Ofsted gradings and reports can never really give the full richness of what is happening in a school, and it is definitely the case that Wheatley Park has developed the quality of the education it delivers for pupils significantly since the last time inspectors visited.

“This is not a school that is standing still. This is a school where the leadership and all our colleagues have a clear vision of where they want to go and the commitment to get there.

“We are very proud of Wheatley Park. It is a credit to the trust and to the fantastic community that it serves.”

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The Cherwell School in North Oxford is currently the county’s only outstanding-rated secondary. It is also a member of RLT, which is made up of 28 schools in Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.

RLT’s other Oxford schools include The Swan, which became the first completely new secondary in the city for more than half a century when it opened on Marston Ferry Road in 2019.

Wheatley Park was one of the earliest schools to join RLT, in 2014.

Wheatley Park was initially Holton Park Girls' Grammar School, before it became a comprehensive school in 1972.

Read more from this author

This story was written by Rebecca Whittaker, she joined the team in 2019 as a multimedia reporter.

Rebecca covers education and news in Abingdon and Wantage.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Rebecca.Whittaker@newquest.co.uk or calling 07824524333

Follow her on Twitter @RebecWhitt

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