TEN schools in North Somerset have achieved the coveted ‘outstanding’ inspection rating by Ofsted for their overall effectiveness.
The Government’s inspector has revealed statistics to show which schools were rated as outstanding as of December 31.
Backwell, Clevedon and Gordano secondary schools and St Francis Primary School in Nailsea, High Down Infant School in Backwell, West Leigh Infant School in Backwell and Yatton Infant School are all included on the list. Mead Vale Primary School in Worle, Westhaven School in Weston and Sandford Primary School also reached the highest standard.
Out of the 74 schools inspected in the district, 10 were rated outstanding, 46 were good, 18 required improvement and none were marked as inadequate.
Backwell School headteacher Julian Baldwin said: “Outstanding schools provide an excellent education in many, many different ways.
“Ofsted’s view of outstanding focuses on how well children behave - both in the classroom and around school - and how they perform in examinations.
“Inspectors look for excellent teaching and really good attitudes from students to their learning.
“Outstanding schools such as Backwell provide all that and a lot more besides that inspectors don’t really look at.
“Through drama productions like our recent Les Miserables, music concerts, educational visits at home and abroad, a rich menu of sport, the learning of skills as well as knowledge - our staff, like those in many schools, put in the extra because we want to develop the whole child.”
According to Ofsted’s website, the ‘very best providers’ have been judged to have outstanding overall effectiveness.
Schools attaining these standards are sent a certificate and letter from Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills.
An impressive 90 per cent of secondary schools in the district are rated as outstanding or good, significantly higher than the national average at 72 per cent.
Primary schools are performing slightly lower than the national average of 78 per cent, with 74 per cent attaining the title of best providers.
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