Highfields School - Ofsted Inspections and Performance

Ofsted Inspections and Performance

The school was inspected in full by Ofsted in 2006. This determined that the school was 'satisfactory... with some good features'. This contrasts to the 1999 report which said 'On balance, the school has more strengths than weaknesses'.

The history department was inspected in 2007. The subsequent report found the department to be 'outstanding' - achieving a grade 1. Furthermore, Highfields was the third best-performing school in Derbyshire at A-level in 2007 according to BBC league tables and the seventh best-performing at GCSE, higher than their normal placings in these league tables.

In a February 2009 whole-school inspection, the school found to be 'satisfactory' (grade 3) - below its 'good' (grade 2) target - but with improvements since the last inspection. It also noted the school's performance, citing that 'standards are above average'.

Following a 2011 whole-school inspection, while still classing the school's sixth form as 'good' (grade 2), the school as a whole was determined to be 'inadequate' (grade 4) and was given 'notice to improve'. Despite Ofsted's criticisms, the school recorded its best-ever A-level results in August 2012, with a 99.6% pass rate and 60% of results at grade B or above. The school also saw a 7% increase to 70% of students earning 5 A*-C grades at GCSE. Subsequently, a September 2012 follow-up inspection found the school to have improved markedly, achieving a 'good' (grade 2) for the first time in over 6 years.