Overall effectiveness of the school
Posted by School Website Administrator (siteadmin) on Jan 28 2008 at 8:49 PM
Prospectus >>

Alderman Knight School is a good school with outstanding features. Parents deeply appreciate what the school provides, stating, for example, ‘’It is a fantastic school and has helped my child to have happy, secure and excellent learning,’’ and saying of the school, ‘We are fully committed to it.’ The school has passed through difficult times during which its future was unsure. The outstanding leadership of the headteacher and the very strong support of senior staff have enabled the school to make an excellent start in re-establishing itself. Providing outreach services to local schools, which enhance provision considerably, is an example of the school’s outstanding partnership with others.

Pupils’ personal development is outstanding because the care, guidance and support they receive are excellent. In an atmosphere where they are greatly encouraged and valued and where there are rich opportunities to understand other cultures, pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is outstanding. Because the school encourages physical activity and healthy eating, pupils follow healthy lifestyles. Pupils feel very safe and act with great consideration for others because they know the school values them. Because the school strives to make learning interesting, pupils greatly enjoy their education and participate in what it offers enthusiastically. Excellent behaviour is successfully supported by high expectations and the very skilful handling of any difficult behaviour when it occasionally occurs. Pupils take great pride in their school, and contribute outstandingly well to it and to the local community. Pupils’ attendance is good and they develop workplace and related skills well.       

Pupils progress well throughout the school and achieve well because teaching is good and because support is of a very good quality. Many older pupils progress exceptionally well and achieve a range of qualifications, including General Certificate of Education (GCSEs) and Entry Level Certificates. Pupils reach challenging targets for achievement set by the school.

Good teaching ensures pupils’ good progress, and some teaching is outstanding. Among strengths of teaching are the excellent relationships and the good deployment of teaching assistants, who make a valuable contribution. Lessons are well planned and questioning is used very well to extend pupils’ learning. The good curriculum has particular strengths in the cross-curricular links made between subjects and in the wide range of extra-curricular activities offered. Recent important improvements to the curriculum have ensured it is now responsive to younger pupils’ needs.

The school sets effective targets for improvement. Induction of new staff and newly qualified teachers is thorough and well planned. Changes made in the last year have had an outstanding impact in improving progress in Key Stages 1 and 2. These demonstrate that the school now has an excellent capacity to improve further. It has identified that very small steps of progress for pupils working at the lowest levels of attainment are not securely recorded, and that improving this will provide opportunities to monitor progress even more closely and further refine provision. Governors have been extremely supportive of the school through difficult times and have shown great commitment. This has led to governors paying less attention to their formal monitoring role, which they now recognise is a priority.

Alderman Knight School, Ashchurch Road, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 8JJ.