17 January 2024

Ofsted outcome adds to national recognition for Longcroft School

Longcroft School and Sixth Form are celebrating the outcome of their recent Section 5 Ofsted Inspection, which has further validated the school’s exceptional progress over recent years. Inspectors were hugely complimentary about the school and effusive in their recognition of the journey it has travelled since previous inspections.

They acknowledged the hard work of the dedicated staff, and the profound impact that the Wonder Learning Partnership (WLP) Trust has had in supporting rapid improvements, having been commissioned by the local authority to oversee the school in 2019.

The inspection team described how ‘pupils enjoy coming to school and are happy and safe.’ They recognised the school’s commitment to a holistic education, with inspectors highlighting how ‘pupils have access to a wide range of extra-curricular activities and enrichment,’ are engaged in those opportunities and ‘feel a sense of pride in their achievements.’ Behaviour and attendance at the school were celebrated as particular strengths, underlining the positive attitudes to school demonstrated by pupils and students. Mr David Perry, Headteacher, noted how the feedback “captures how our young people respond to our mission statement and how they demonstrate the values that we work hard to instill through all that we do. We are incredibly proud of each and every one of them.”

Mr Perry went on to state, “It was fantastic to hear the strong evaluation of our curriculum, which has been described as ‘ambitious, broad and well-sequenced’.” Inspectors were impressed by the school’s ‘work with primary schools’ to ensure a robust understanding of what children learn before they arrive at Longcroft, and how this enables the school to effectively ‘build pupils’ knowledge from key stage 2’.

Longcroft School has achieved ‘increasingly strong outcomes as a result of the quality of its curriculum’ which they were able to celebrate on a national platform this summer, including a visit from Good Morning Britain to broadcast live on GCSE Results Day. The school has enjoyed much positive attention of late, having already been recognised as ‘one of the most improved schools in the country’ by the Department for Education in 2022.

This latest judgement is an important milestone for the school community and a recognition of the incredible young people and their many achievements. Mr Perry expressed how It would ‘provide a platform for further growth and development’ and was keen to articulate how ‘the focus remains on providing a truly exceptional, world-class coeducational offer for the children of Beverley, North Hull and the surrounding areas’.

Inspectors were impressed by the ‘increasing number of students choosing to attend the school’ and notably ‘the sixth form’ which is one of the most rapidly growing in the region. They report how ‘students enjoy the provision and value the positive relationships that they have with teachers,’ noting that ‘students receive a personalised experience in the sixth form’ and that they are ‘known and supported as individuals’. The report also describes how ‘students are ambitious for their futures’ with many moving on to prestigious Universities and study programmes, as well as a range of employment and further training.

The CEO of the Wonder Learning Partnership (WLP) Trust, Mr Jonathan Britton, expressed his delight at the outcome, commenting that ‘Longcroft is an excellent demonstration of the power of partnership working’. The growing Trust has an excellent track record of school improvement and Longcroft now provides a further example of their continued success in this regard.

Mr Perry has described this as ‘an incredibly exciting time for the school’. Inspectors expressed how ‘leaders at all levels demonstrate the vision and capacity to further drive the school forward’ and continue its impressive trajectory.

 

24 August 2023

Huge congratulations to Year 11 on their exceptional results!

It is with great pride and admiration that we celebrate the superb performance of our Year 11 ‘Class of 2023’. What each of our young people have achieved during these unprecedented times is exceptional and would not have been possible without the support of colleagues as well as our wonderful parents and carers. This year’s achievements reflect the impressive progression made over the past three years, having been previously recognised as one of the most improved schools nationally.

As a school and community, we could not be more proud of each and every one of our young people. We look forward to welcoming many back to our Sixth Form in September to continue their education with us.

Mr Perry commented, “We are so proud of all our pupils who today have seen their hard work and determination pay off. Many of the national trends widely reported have been reversed here at Longcroft, notably including the proportions of top grades which is exceptional. We know many of our young people will now move into our Sixth Form, which celebrated great A Level success last week, while others will be exploring a range of wider options across the region. We wish them all every success!” He further noted, “We must not underestimate how challenging the secondary educational experience has been for these young people, nor the significant shadow cast by the Covid pandemic. They have shown tremendous courage, character and fortitude - I am immensely proud.”

Twins, Katy and Edward Brown have both been celebrating top results and are excited about joining the Sixth Form at Longcroft next term. Katy said, “I’m very happy. I got everything I wanted and will stay on to do A Levels in Art, Theatre Studies, Sociology and English Literature. I’d love to become an art teacher. I’ve really enjoyed my time here. It’s a really good school.” Her brother talked about the challenges Covid had presented. He said, “As someone who’s had mental health issues, the pandemic affected me a lot, but you get to results day and appreciate all the effort you put it to overcoming those challenges. Despite the disruptions there’s been an amazingly supportive atmosphere here and I have really enjoyed my time at Longcroft"

 

August 2023 - Most improved school celebrates more great achievement

Our students and staff at Longcroft School and Sixth Form College have something to celebrate as this year’s examination results are released. Since the pandemic the school has been going from strength to strength, leading to a sustained improvement in standards and outcomes.

This year’s results have seen the vast majority of students opting to access Higher Education programmes with 100% securing their selected University offers despite some hugely challenging offers.

There were exceptional performances in a number of subjects with English Literature, Art, Business Studies and Biology particular highlights. Around a quarter of pupils achieved the top grades across a range of subjects despite national trends, and there were many individual stories of specific achievements and exciting next steps.

Last year the school, which was recently named one of the ‘most improved schools nationally’, celebrated its Year 11 pupils achieving the best exam results in the school’s history. We are now placed well above national comparison across a range of metrics.

Mr Perry said today, “I’m grateful to the staff and parents who have continued to be incredibly supportive during this time of change. Their loyalty and dedication continue to pay off. We have a passionate, committed team of professionals who are determined to see it succeed and ensure our young people are exceptionally well prepared for life beyond school. We are incredibly proud of our young people and remain focused on ensuring they recognise and realise their extraordinary potential, and have the belief and confidence to succeed in a complex and rapidly evolving world.”

Tom, who is going to read History and Politics achieved a suite of top grades and said, “I thoroughly enjoyed my Sixth Form journey and am very proud of my results. I wouldn't have been able to achieve so highly without the support of the staff, who have been excellent. We cultivated a unique community within our Sixth Form and I'm incredibly grateful for the support of my peers and wish them all the best for the future”. 

 

Each week we are proud to celebrate all the achievements of current and former Longcroft School students and pupils and share with the community the many events and activities that are a key part of life at Longcroft.

This Newsletter is the main means of communication for school and is sent to parents electronically every week in term time.

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