Gildredge House 2024 Ofsted Inspection Results

Gildredge House, a leading all-through free school in Eastbourne, is proud to announce that it has received extremely positive outcomes from its recent Ofsted inspection.

The comprehensive Graded inspection, which took place on 1st and 2nd of October 2024, inspected the school across multiple categories, including quality of education, behaviour, attitudes, and safeguarding, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.

Executive Head Teacher, Mr Bull, said "Our mission is to Aspire for excellence, and this drives all that we do. The report recognises our vision for a strong values-based curriculum which provides our young people with the highest quality education so they can achieve their potential, and beyond. In addition to the introduction of a new rigorous Ofsted inspection framework where judgements are harder to achieve, a lot had changed at Gildredge House since the last inspection in 2018.

“This, combined with the best outcomes in the school’s history with a positive Progress 8 score in the Secondary phase, and Primary outcomes all of which are in line or above both National and East Sussex figures, demonstrates that we provide students with a quality of education that ensures they make more than expected progress.

“The report is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, students, and supportive parent community. While we celebrate this important milestone, we remain committed to continuous improvement and making our school the very best learning environment for our students."

Throughout the inspection, inspectors commented on the school’s ambitious curriculum intent, that lessons were disruption free, and that the school has an exemplary Safeguarding culture. The Ofsted report praised numerous aspects of Gildredge House, including:

• Pupils' courteous and respectful treatment of one another, demonstrating a strong understanding of inclusivity.
• Vibrant and calm classrooms that enable effective learning.
• Pupils' high attendance and value for what the school offers.
• The school's positive behaviour culture and tenacious approach to improving attendance.
• The well-developed personal development curriculum that prepares pupils for the future.
• That leaders are taking effective action to address school improvement priorities.

The report recommended only two areas for further development; refining the school's assessment practices and ensuring all teaching staff have the expertise to adapt learning to meet individual student needs.

"We are grateful to Ofsted for their thorough inspection and valuable feedback." added Mr Bull. "The validation and confidence that the inspectors had in our leadership of the school’s direction is extremely positive."

Chair of the Governing Board, Mr Thornhill, said, “The Governing Board is very pleased with the school’s recent Ofsted inspection outcomes. It reflects the hard work done by our entire school community. Staff, students and parents should be proud of this report, confident in the direction we are going, and the progress we have made. Our challenge now is to build on these firm foundations, seek further improvement and achieve excellence in all that we do.”

A parent of a Year 11 student who has been at the school for more than a decade, said of the report “Much deserved, we are very proud to be a part of Gildredge House”.

The full Ofsted inspection report is available on the school's website here: www.gildredgehouse.org.uk

About Gildredge House: Gildredge House is an all-through free school located in Eastbourne, East Sussex. Opened in 2013, the school serves students aged 4 to 16 and is part of the Gildredge House Free School Trust.

For more information, visit www.gildredgehouse.org.uk