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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
World
George Lythgoe

School celebrates new Ofsted score after over a decade 'requiring improvement'

After years of being regarded as ‘Requires Improvement’ for more than a decade, Lowton Church of England High School has celebrated its new Ofsted score.

Since rebranding as a Church of England school back in 2012, the Newton Road site has continued to require improvement, according to inspectors. However, after four full inspections, with the last coming in 2019, the school has finally been graded as ‘Good’.

Kieran Larkin, who has been headteacher since September 2020, said: “I welcome this great report on our school, reflecting the determined efforts of students, staff, and governors of the school.

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“It reflects the hard work, aspirations, and achievement of many. We are a school in the community with the highest of aspirations for each child that comes here – and this report reflects that we are delivering on that promise in all year groups in the school.

“Each day we aim to be excellent in all we do, and this report reflects that we are delivering on that commitment each day.”

Kieran Larkin, headteacher at Lowton Church of England High School, Newton Road, Lowton, Wigan (Lowton Church of England High School)

The Ofsted report, published at the end of May, follows an inspection back in March 21 and 22 which highlighted that children “achieve well and are well prepared for the next stage of their education”. The school was praised in all categories which include the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development as well as leadership and management.

“Leaders and governors have brought about transformative improvement since the previous inspection,” the Ofsted report said. “Pupils now enjoy a good quality of education.

“This is because leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum, from Year 7 to Year 11, that ensures pupils can and do achieve well. In most subjects, leaders have thought carefully about the important knowledge that pupils need to learn and the order in which this should be taught.

“Teachers have strong subject knowledge and present information clearly. In these subjects, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), know and remember more.”

This celebrated report comes after a successful year in exam results - where the Wigan school set a record for exam results which was their ‘best ever’, the headteacher claims. They were amongst some of the highest achievers in the borough.

“The inspection ties in with how we see ourselves as a school,” Mr Larkin added. “I would like to particularly thank staff for their relentless hard work and dedication towards our students, through the tough times of the pandemic and always giving of their best so that pupils can be their personal best.

“We never make excuses, we simply aim to be the best we can be in all we do. While we don’t run the school for the purposes of inspection, I recognise that parents rightly want an external view of how well the school is doing.

“This report will give confidence to the community that in sending your child to our school, your child will be safe, happy, and well, the school will have high expectations of your child, and they will achieve well.”

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