Denefield School - Special Measures

Special Measures

Due to unsatisfactory examination results in some key subject areas, and despite the success of some other areas (Denefield was awarded an Arts Mark Gold award by the Arts Council of England in May 2009 for its Arts provision) the school was placed in special measures. The current Headteacher, Glyn Whiteford, made it clear that he would improve the school, and this indeed has happened. These improvements were highlighted by the OFSTED inspectors.

In November 2010, following improvements to the quality of teaching over the preceding years, Denefield was removed from special measures following a two day ‘no notice’ inspection by Ofsted. The inspection report stated:

" Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures. It is now providing a satisfactory education because there have been improvements in most aspects of the schools work, particularly the quality of leadership and of teaching as well as students attendance. These changes have led to an increase in the rate at which students make progress and so their attainment has risen, demonstrating that the school has a good capacity to improve further.

"Over the last two years students attainment in GCSE examinations has risen and is now in line with the national average. In spite of a legacy of underachievement lower down the school, in 2010 Year 11 students made satisfactory progress overall. The accelerated progress in their final two years at the school was partly the result of a very comprehensive system of mentoring for all Year 11 students and personal support targeted at specific students who were underachieving. However, improvements to the quality of teaching across the school and the curriculum are also starting to bring about long-term sustainable change in the quality of learning and thus an increase in the rate of progress for students in every year group."