Schools in Hampshire: Bridgemary School in Gosport receives 'requires improvement' rating

Bridgemary School, located in Wych Lane, has received its most recent rating from Ofsted following the inspection which took place on December 6 and 7, 2023. The inspection found that 'pupils behave very well in lessons and during social times' and 'they enjoy positive relationships with each other and with staff.'

The report said: "The school is ambitious for all pupils and is committed to helping them to achieve highly, including in examinations. Pupils study the full breadth of national curriculum subjects.

"The school is focused on improving pupils’ overall achievement from Year 7, as well as their examination results. Subject teams have identified what pupils must learn at key points.

"The school identifies pupils with additional needs very well. Teachers receive clear information about how they can help these pupils. Many teachers use this to support physical access and independence effectively. Staff are continuing to develop their knowledge of how to adapt their teaching."

The report outlined that the school has 'established a culture of reading' and pupils have the chance to read during tutor time. The 'personal development' of the students is a highlight at the setting and children know how to keep themselves healthy.

Tom Garfield, headteacher at Bridgemary School said: "We are pleased that OFSTED recognised the strengths of our school and agreed with the priorities that leaders had set for our next steps. We feel that this is a fair representation of our school and we are particularly pleased that the inspectors reflected our work by awarding the school Good for behaviour, Good for personal development and Good for leadership and management.

"In particular the report identifies that “there is a very inclusive and calm culture at the school which is underpinned by mutual respect and trust.”. We are very proud of the work done by our staff and students as we continue to support all to be “the best version of themselves”.

The safeguarding measures were found to be effective and keeping students safe is a priority amongst the teachers and leaders at the school.

The inspection found that there are some areas of the improvement at the school and that the 'curriculum is not implemented effectively enough.'

The report added: "There is evidence of improvement in some areas. However, curriculum organisation and teaching do not routinely support all pupils to remember and be able to apply knowledge securely over time. As a result, many pupils do not achieve as well as they could in their GCSEs, including some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

"Curriculum thinking is less clear about the smaller steps needed to introduce and connect this knowledge securely for pupils with different starting points. This means that many pupils do not embed the knowledge they need to achieve sequentially ambitious learning goals."

To see the Ofsted for Bridgemary School, visit the website. Click here for more information.