Cowes Enterprise College earn glowing good rating from Ofsted

18 May, 2023

Students and staff at Cowes Enterprise College are proudly reflecting on their latest Ofsted rating, with the inspectorate rating them good in all categories.

The school are now holding celebratory events for staff and students, to congratulate them on their hard work.

Following a full inspection by Ofsted on the 7 and 8 March 2023, the newly published report states “pupils benefit a great deal” from coming to Cowes, and thanks in part to school leaders’ “uncompromising” aspirations, they “gain vital knowledge that prepares them well for a successful future life.” As a result, Ofsted concludes Cowes pupils are “prepared well for the future, both academically and personally.”

Beyond this, the report concludes:

Pupils “generally behave well”, their “attitudes are mature, and their conduct is courteous.” This is driven by “well-established routines and expectations.”
The school environment is “one in which pupils feel safe and can learn.” Classrooms are “purposeful and the school site is calm,” and any reports of bullying or inappropriate behaviour are dealt with “swiftly and effectively.”
A “thoughtful and comprehensive personal development programme nurtures [pupils’] understanding of the world beyond the school and the island that they live on.”
The school’s curriculum is “well considered and academically rigorous,” and gives pupils the tools to “move on to follow high-quality education, employment and training routes at the end of Year 11.”
Leaders give “careful thought to the whole curriculum, not just the academic subjects that pupils learn”, and “strive to expand pupils’ horizons way beyond their local community through a rich diet of carefully planned experiences that are captured in the school’s enrichment charter.”
Careers education, information, advice, and guidance is “of a high quality,” and leaders make “effective use of local expertise about apprenticeships, recognising the diversity of opportunity that is available locally.”
Teachers are “ambitious to do more for pupils.” As such, “what pupils need to learn has been identified and mapped out precisely across Years 7 to 13,” and teachers use “their strong subject knowledge to teach these concepts effectively.”
Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) “learn well here”, while the report also notes that “since the last inspection, leaders have prioritised developing the school’s reading curriculum.”

Alongside this, the report concludes staff “value the way that leaders involve them in improving the school while being mindful of their well-being” and are “exceptionally positive about working at [the] school and about the support that they receive.”

Rachel Kitley, principal said: “We are absolutely thrilled with this Good rating, and I would like to sincerely thank our staff, students, and the wider community for their continued hard work and dedication. This result was a team effort, and one that underlines the positive momentum we have built as a school. We remain completely determined to deliver the best possible educational offer for our students, and will use this rating as a springboard to drive even more positive change.”

Nick Hudson, CEO said: “This is a brilliant result, and one that Rachel and the entire Cowes team should be immensely proud of. The school continues to be on a positive upwards trajectory, and I am excited to see all that they will achieve moving forwards.”

Click here for the full report.

Category: News

Tags: Cowes, Cowes Enterprise College, Good grading, Ofsted March 2023