Leeds secondary school gets seal of approval from Ofsted inspectors

Cockburn School, in Beeston, has been classed as 'good' following a one-day inspection by Ofsted earlier this year.

And the school has also been told it is on course to secure an 'outstanding' rating when its next inspection takes place.

Key comments made by the inspectors included:

* The school's leadership has a "strong vision" and makes the right decisions for the needs of its students;

* Student behaviour and conduct is "exemplary", with "substantial and sustained" progress being made in learning;

* The school plays an integral role in the life of its local community and is also a community in its own right.

Cockburn head of school Rob Dixon said: “[This] confirms all of the hard work that our students, staff, parents and governors put into making Cockburn School such a great school for the local area.

"We are now looking forward to our pending inspection, which is likely to take place within the next two years, and to potentially achieving 'outstanding' status.”

Cockburn has a total of 1,250 students across years 7 to 11 and is part of the Cockburn Multi-academy Trust.

Executive headteacher David Gurney said: “Our vision of 'Transformation to Excellence' focuses on a relentless drive to continue to improve and excel in all areas and Ofsted saw this clearly in terms of the academic success of the school.

"I am extremely proud that the Ofsted team also recognised how ‘polite and considerate’ our students are to each other, visitors and staff and that our school is a ‘harmonious and safe place to be’."

News of the inspection's outcome follows the announcement that Cockburn is set to play a part in a digital skills learning programme backed by tech giant IBM.

It will join Cockburn John Charles Academy and Leeds City College in delivering the UK's first Pathways in Technology (P-TECH) programme.

The full report from Ofsted can be found on the www.cockburnschool.org/ofsted-dfe-exam-results web page.