Inspectors praise for Hull school which is set to close

A SCHOOL which has been facing the threat of closure for more than six years has just been given its best ever Ofsted - four months before it is shut down for good.

Inspectors have brought Sydney Smith School, in Hull, out of special measures and rated it as providing a good standard of education.

The new inspection report rates all areas of the school in Anlaby as being good - the second highest judgement Ofsted can award.

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The school was classed as failing and placed in special measures two years ago. It had also previously been rated as inadequate in 2005.

Now staff and pupils are celebrating the school’s best ever inspection report in the year it is set to close.

Head teacher Kevin Beaton said he was delighted for the pupils, parents and staff who had decided to stick with the school to the end.

He said: “The school has been faced with closure since around 2007 when Hull first bid for Building Schools for the Future money and planned a reorganisation.”

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The school had stopped taking on new pupils at year seven and so now there is just the final year 11 pupils remaining.

Mr Beaton said: “At one time there was 300 pupils in each year group and there was 1,663 pupils overall.

“Now we have 119 in our last year. I think the pupils have picked up on the fact that these teachers have decided to stay to the end for their benefit and it has created a good bond between them.

“We have been able to retain a good teaching staff here and all of the lessons which Ofsted saw during the inspection were either good or outstanding which helped us.”

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Ofsted praises the head and also singles out the school’s assistant head teacher Kimberley Hutton, who won a regional prize as teacher of the year for Yorkshire and the North East last year, for her work improving the quality of teaching at the school in all subjects. The governing body is also praised for its work.

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