School vows to improve after Ofsted inspections

St Andrew’s High School for Boys – which is attended by pupils from across the area – was visited by inspectors on March 20, the third visit since the school was found to require improvement in May last year.

Inspector Lesley Farmer said the school, in Sackville Road, Worthing, should take immediate action and suggested linking with a similar school judged to be good or better by Ofsted.

Headteacher Steve Mercer said: “The visit provides a sharp focus for our return to ‘good’.

“To this end, the school has already refined its School Development Plan to respond fully to the improvement agenda.

“Staff at all levels and are engaged with a range of partners including a local Teaching School Alliance and specialist leader in education.

“The school is also working with a recently retired inspector who lives locally.

“Following the outstanding success of our early entry in English GCSE, our data team is working hard to validate all our recently revised subject tracking assessments with other providers who are known to be good or better.

“We have successfully moderated work with other schools and exam boards who judge our decisions to be accurate and this has been supported by the external verifiers for BTEC PE and NVQ Languages.

“We have a significant number of staff who are linked with other organisations such as the local Teaching Alliance and many undertaking formal qualifications such as the NPQH and NPQSL.

“Similarly, our Governors have undertaken a full Review of Governance supported by Local Authority Representatives and following the National College Leadership model of best practice.”

Clive Purser, chair of governors, said: “Our aim is for students to leave the school as mature, articulate well rounded individuals who will make a contribution in Society. This has been amply demonstrated by the number of Youth Mayors that have been selected from St Andrew’s.

“The Local Authority has acknowledged our hard work and are very encouraged in our strong progress towards reaching our goal.”

The school operates a Make Learning Better scheme where boys elect their peers to help run the school in a variety of ways, including interviewing prospective members of staff and carrying out their own inspections.

Mr Mercer said: “The views of the boys are taken very seriously and they are so perceptive with the feedback that they give.

“Whenever they interview someone their notes are always formally recorded. It is a way of bringing students on and giving them community responsibility.”