Laura Bagshaw A SCHOOL “driven by excellent leadership where staff show outstanding care to pupils who achieve well.” This is what Ofsted found when they visited Edward Worlledge Middle School in Great Yarmouth which, in its latest report, was graded as good and outstanding across the board.

Laura Bagshaw

A SCHOOL “driven by excellent leadership where staff show outstanding care to pupils who achieve well.”

This is what Ofsted found when they visited Edward Worlledge Middle School in Great Yarmouth which, in its latest report, was graded as good and outstanding across the board.

Ofsted said it was a “good school working in very difficult circumstances,” referring to the “above average” proportion of pupils with additional learning needs as well as behaviour and emotional problems.

The report said the provision for pupils with learning and behaviour difficulties was “outstanding” and this provision showed in the pupils' achievements. Pupils with “significant needs make equally good progress” from their low starting points. The report also stated that the school deals “successfully” with its most “challenging” pupils.

All pupils achieve well with some making “excellent” progress from low starting points. By the end of Year 7 results are average in science and English and above average in maths.

The report praises the school for raising standards since its last inspection in 2003 adding “the school has an outstanding capacity to improve even further”.

Ofsted say the “excellent progress” made by pupils is evidence of the “outstanding care” provided by the school.

Exceptional work by the school ensures pupils' moral, social, spiritual and cultural development prepares them for the next stage of education. They also have a good understanding of how to live healthy lives and many pupils “clearly enjoy school greatly”.

Teaching and learning at the 242 pupil school were graded as “good” by inspectors who said staff worked “very hard” to create an “effective learning environment”.

The school has a large team of teaching assistants who Ofsted said play a “vital role” in supporting those pupils with learning and behaviour difficulties.

Headteacher Dawn Kightley, said: “This is a great school with quite challenging circumstances.”

She explained that 65pc of pupils at the school had special needs and that the school prided itself on the “individual care” it gives to children.

“We know our pupils as individuals and that rebounds on their education,” said Mrs Kightley. “If they feel supported and cared for in school they will progress in education. It also helps with attendance.”

She added: “We have a great team here, staff, parents and governors. It really is a community school where everyone works hard.”

While teaching was overall good, and considered outstanding in some areas, Ofsted wants staff at Edward Worlledge to give improved consistency in teaching so existing expertise can be built on, and expectations of pupils are always high.

The school must also develop further links between subjects for Years 3 to 6 to create a more exciting curriculum. The school is already addressing this by reviewing its curriculum as it prepares to change status to a junior school in September.