Robert Blake School making progress since 2023, says Ofsted

At the last inspection in October 2023, Ofsted graded the secondary comprehensive school at ‘Requires Improvement’ in two out of four areas.

The last report, led by lead inspector, Frances Bywater, commended the school for raising pupils’ expectations, but outlined how the school – which has over 1,000 pupils - was “disappointed in the outcomes of public examinations.”

The latest monitoring inspection, carried out by Sara Berry on October 16, 2024, sought to identify and report the school’s progress since 2023. The report, dated November 7, 2024, does not provide a single word judgement for the school, as this practice was stopped at the start of September 2024.  

The report found that the school had restructured and expanded its senior leadership team, allowing “leaders and those responsible for governance” to appreciate “the pace of change needed to raise outcomes for all pupils.”

The curriculum at Robert Blake School was another area identified as experiencing substantial improvements. While teachers at the school have undergone professional development, the school still recognises “the need for further training on the effective use of assessment so that it both identifies and resolves gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding.”

Another area where improvements have been made relates to pupils’ attitude towards reading. Ofsted inspector, Sara Berry, outlined how the school has invested in library provision and that pupils have access to a range of texts.

Although staff “have an accurate picture of who the weakest readers are” at Robert Blake School - and have identified what support they need to improve” – the school does not “have sufficient capacity to ensure all the pupils who need support are receiving this.”

In addition, the report makes clear that the Headteacher and senior leaders at Robert Blake School “are clear” about prioritising certain areas for improvement.