CHILTON Trinity School in Bridgwater is celebrating after upgrading its rating by the education watchdog Ofsted following two years of improvements.

The secondary school of nearly 1000 students was rated as ‘Requiring Improvement’ in 2022. It was subsequently judged to be ‘Good’ in all areas of the Ofsted framework when inspected in September 2024.

The team of four Ofsted inspectors concluded that Chilton Trinity was ‘Good’ for its leadership and management, quality of education, pupils’ personal development, and their behaviour and attitudes.

The report stated that the school, which became part of Futura Learning Partnership in 2023, had made upgrades and “sharpened its expectations” with made rapid improvements after poor exam results last year, including significantly improved GCSE outcomes for Year 11 students in 2024.

The report also outlined that: “The school has acted quickly to make important changes. It is resolute that the quality of learning and outcomes for all pupils, especially disadvantaged pupils or pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), improve.”

“Trustees, trust leaders, the school and governors work closely together to focus on the priorities for the school. Since the last inspection, the new Trust and the school have acted quickly to put in actions to drive improvement. This has been positive in raising standards of learning and behaviour.”

Kathryn Deady, Headteacher of Chilton Trinity School, said she was delighted with Ofsted’s findings: “We are really proud of this outcome as it is a testimony to the dedication and commitment of our staff, who work tirelessly to support the children in their care.”

She continued: “Most importantly it reflects how incredible our students are, not just during the inspection, but as fantastic ambassadors for their school each and every day. I am also grateful to parents and carers who support the school, enabling us to provide a good learning experience for our students.”

Futura Trust’s chief executive officer, Gary Schlick, congratulated everyone at Chilton Trinity School for their work in securing the upgrade.

He said: “The clean sweep of ‘Good’ judgements were thoroughly deserved. It demonstrates how much progress can be made when staff, leaders, the Trust, children and families work together for the benefit of all.”

The Ofsted inspectors who assessed the school particularly praised the ambitious and carefully sequenced curriculum, and the consistent approach to teaching. The inspectors were also complimentary about the pupils, who are all aged between 11 to 16.

Positive comments in the report included that pupils are positive in their conduct and show kindness and consideration to one another. In addition, pupils were deemed to be well looked after, with the ability to look after their own mental and physical health.