Stephenson Lower is a 'Good' School
Ofsted have recognised Stephenson Lower School as a 'good' school with outstanding Leadership and Management. Every category assessed was marked as either good or outstanding.
Stephenson Lower School now joins the Borough's portfolio of good or outstanding schools. Last year, schools in Bedford Borough were praised after the Local Authority area was recognised by Ofsted as offering one of the best opportunities in the country for children to attend a good or outstanding primary school. Schools in Bedford Borough were ranked as 11th out of 150 local authorities across the country and number one in the Eastern region, with 87% of children attending a good or outstanding lower or primary school. The latest Ofsted inspections have graded nine of the ten local schools inspected this academic year as good or outstanding.
In November 2011, Ofsted rated StephensonLowerSchool as inadequate, and placed it in special measures. However, Ofsted's latest report highlighted 'Under the leadership of the new Head teacher, Ali Bray, the school has moved out of this category in three monitoring visits'.
Ofsted carried out their inspection of the school on 12-13th March. The Achievement of Pupils, Quality of Teaching, Behaviour and Safety of Pupils were all judged to be good.
Lib Dem Cllr David Sawyer, Portfolio Holder for Education at Bedford Borough Council, said: "The school has been advancing steadily. This latest report confirmed that progress is accelerating throughout the school. It is pleasing that it scored so highly in each category. Teachers, staff, parents and pupils have worked hard to make this vision a reality, and the focus is very much on improving even further."
The report highlighted 'Skilled teachers have a sharp focus on developing reading, writing and number skill through an exciting and engaging set of experiences'.
It also stated 'Leaders are relentless in their pursuit of excellence. They have driven the transformation of this school'.
To view Ofsted's full report on Stephenson Lower School, visit www.ofsted.gov.uk