Staff and students are celebrating after Moseley Park was judged to be "Outstanding" by Ofsted - just 5 years after the school was placed into special measures.

Inspectors visited the Bilston school last month and found that the "uncompromising leadership" of executive headteacher Georgetta Holloway OBE and her team had "created a culture which is highly aspirational", with staff, pupils and governors "ambitious and committed to ensuring the school provides an excellent education".

They were highly impressed with the progress of students, noted that "pupils relish the opportunities they are given to explore and explain their thinking. As a result, they make exceptionally strong progress across the curriculum".

For the last 3 years, progress in all years and in GCSE results has surpassed that seen nationally. Sixth form students also make substantial and sustained progress thanks to the "highly effective teaching" they receive.

Inspectors commended the hard work of staff, stating "teachers have very high expectations of their pupils and provide them with sustained levels of stretch and challenge" and said, "pupils are inspired and motivated by teachers' enthusiasm for their subject".

The pupils themselves also come in for praise. Inspectors found pupil conduct "excellent" and their behaviour "impeccable", and said pupils have "high levels of respect for their teachers and love learning". They are "rightly proud of their school and are unfailingly polite and welcoming" to visitors. Sixth formers' conduct "is exemplary and they provide excellent role models for younger pupils".

Moseley Park was rated Good at its last inspection in 2014 and is now judged Outstanding across all 5 inspection areas - the effectiveness of leadership and management; quality of teaching, learning and assessment; personal development, behaviour and welfare; outcomes for pupils; and 16 to 19 study programmes.

Executive Headteacher Georgetta Holloway OBE said: "From challenge, literacy and safeguarding to leadership, curriculum and progress, this report confirmed what we already knew - Moseley Park is a truly great school.

"This Outstanding rating from Ofsted is an achievement which marks a real milestone in the history of our school; it is just five short years since we came out of special measures and the change in the ethos, attitude and most importantly the self confidence of our students since that time has resulted in us going from strength to strength across the board.

"We are now consistently ranked amongst the very best schools not just locally but regionally and even nationally on key headline measures of progress and success.

"The most rewarding aspect of this improvement journey is that our students are happy and successful young people who are well prepared for their next steps.

"Together we are a force to be reckoned with - a strong school supported by a strong community building success for all our students."

Councillor Claire Darke, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education, said: "This is a fabulous report across the board, which is full of praise for everyone at Moseley Park.

"I would like to congratulate the leadership team, teachers, support staff, governors, parents and pupils for their hard work which has led to sustained improvements at the school over the last few years."

Moseley Park is one of a number of secondary schools rated "Outstanding" - the others being Moseley's partner school Heath Park, which is also a Central Learning Partnership Trust academy, Highfields School and the Girls High School.

Some 89% of schools in Wolverhampton are now rated either Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.

  • released: Friday 20 October, 2017