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NEWS

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= = &n= bsp; &nbs= p; = &n= bsp; &nbs= p; = &n= bsp; &nbs= p; 05/03/2009

ANOTHER “OUTSTANDING” RESULT!

They’ve done it again!

Whitburn CofE School, in Nicholas Aven= ue, has received another “outstanding” rating from Ofsted, recordi= ng perfect scores across the board.

The glowing report is the latest in a string of successes at the sc= hool, and things are set to get even better when its 960 pupils move into a supe= rb new building after Easter.

Ofsted inspector, Gillian Salter-Smith, praised the school’s “consistently high” standards, the “exemplary” behaviour of pupils and found everything from leadership and management to teaching and learning to be “outstanding.”

Her report said: “The school lives up to its vision and motto= of ‘Excellence for All’. The vision is shared by leaders, staff, governors and pupils and is firmly based on the highest expectation of eve= ry pupil’s achievement, personal development and wellbeing.”=

“Each and every learner is considered as an individual and th= is principle is at the heart of all that is done. There are no limits for any pupil and the school strives hard to remove any potential barriers to success.”

Head teacher, Paula Williams was described as “sharply focuse= d and relentless in her determination to bring about the school’s vision f= or all pupils”, whilst senior and middle leaders, governors and staff a= re “highly effective”.

Miss Williams said: “It is a very great privilege to be Head of this wonderful school. This report is a well deserved te= stimony to the dedication and efforts of our pupils, staff, parents, carers and governors. We will continue = to take a very professional approach to all aspects of our work; there will be no complacency from anyone. Our= focus is always on teaching and learning; lessons provide all pupils with challe= nge, support, rigour and pace in proper measure. I am often asked about the ‘secret’ of our success but my years of experience have taught= me that there are no shortcuts to quality in education; the way to success li= es in thorough planning, scrupulous monitoring and review and sheer hard work.&#= 8221;

There was also praise for the “very strong” contribution pupils make to both the school and the community, and for the “considerable” funds pupils have raised for charities in this country and around the world.

In a letter to pupils, Mrs Salter-Smith said: “The school pro= vides you with an outstanding quality of education. You make excellent progress because you are exceptionally keen to learn and are prepared to rise to the challenges posed by the outstanding quality teaching. As a result, you consistently reach high standards in national examinations.”

The school posted its best ever GCSE results last year, and is well placed to build on its success with its capacity to improve being judged as “outstanding”.

Chair of Governors, Shirley Stratford, said: “We’re absolutely delighted. Our school sets very high standards and, though the findings of this report are not unexpected, it is always nice to see the quality of our work being recognised.

“The challenge has always been to improve on everything that = we do, and we will continue to strive for excellence for all.”

South Tyneside Council education chiefs have also welcomed the school’s latest piece of good news.

Councillor Jim Foreman, Lead Member Children and Young People, said: “The achievements of Whitburn CofE School are nothing short of remarkable. The school is accomplishing one feat after another and it is clear to see that much of this is down to its strong and inspirational leadership.

“We want all children and young people in South Tyneside to be the best that they can be, and our schools hav= e an enormous role to play in this. Thanks to the work of everybody involved wi= th this exceptional school, pupils are leaving Whitburn CofE with tremendous prospects having been given a helping hand onto the road to success.”= ;

The Council’s Executive Director Children and Young People, H= elen Watson, added: “It is a considerable challenge for an already high-performing school to drive up improvement even further, but Whitburn = CofE has succeeded in doing this. The report is exceptional, and few schools in= the country will have received such an emphatic endorsement of their work.

“I’d like to congratulate everyone involved in the school’s success, especially pupils, staff, governors and parents.&#= 8221;

Rev= erend Sheila Bamber, Director of Education for the Diocese of Durham said, ̶= 0;We are delighted that the continued outstanding performance of Whitburn Churc= h of England School has been fully recognised in this wonderful report. T= he school ethos expects the very best from each individual, and everyone works very hard indeed to make sure that this happens within the school. Pupils are enabled to develop the skills they need to continue to do well when they move on. Every member of the school community should be proud of what they have achieved together, a= nd I know that the long awaited and much needed new building will provide the s= chool with facilities that will support its continuing outstanding success.”