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Ofsted says Highbury Grove Is a good school

OFSTED – the Office for Standards in Education - has published the findings of its recent inspection of Highbury Grove secondary school and has ranked the overall school performance as good.

Cllr Ursula Woolley, Islington Council's Executive Member for Children and Young People, said: "Many congratulations to all staff, pupils and governors at Highbury Grove School. This positive Ofsted report shows how Islington schools are improving year on year. The work that everyone at Highbury Grove has done to turn the school around is a real credit to the borough - and the future looks even brighter, as the school will be one of the first to benefit from the Building Schools for the Future programme."

The OFSTED report states:

• Highbury Grove School has improved significantly in the last five years and now provides a good education for its pupils.

• Pupils make good progress and standards have improved considerably.

• Managers, teachers, patrol officers and others have worked successfully with pupils to develop satisfactory codes of behaviour in classes and around the school and exclusions have decreased significantly.

• Pupils report that they feel safe and secure in school, and they can readily turn to staff and peer mentors.

• The quality of care and guidance provided by the school is good. The school has gained a national social inclusion award for the care of vulnerable pupils. These pupils are very well supported and make satisfactory progress.

• Changes in the curriculum have widened choices for pupils and increasing numbers now progress to the sixth form, further education and training.

• Leadership and management are good. Governors effectively support the school. The headteacher and her senior leadership have rightly given high priority to literacy intervention strategies and this has started to benefit pupils.

• The senior leadership team and the staff have successfully created an inclusive environment where pupils of all abilities and cultural backgrounds learn well together.

• All pupils make considerably good progress between years 7-9. No pupil makes less than satisfactory progress and the school has worked hard to improve the progress of underachieving groups

• Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good. The majority of pupils are mature, polite and helpful and enjoy coming to school.

• The school has put in place excellent intervention strategies

• The extended school provision is an outstanding feature

The inspection was carried out on 29 and 30 Jan 2007. The inspectors have written to students and parents with the results of their inspection. The full report will be available shortly on www.ofsted.gov.uk

For more information, please contact CEA@Islington's Communications Department: