Relief as North Shields school put into ‘special measures’ achieves ‘good’ Ofsted report

A North Shields secondary school has survived being placed into special measures by Ofsted and is now rated 'good' in all areas.

Norham High School on Alnwick Avenue was given the damning rating by Oftsted inspectors in October 2018 and faced the uphill battle of turning it around.

Now, following a rigorous two-day inspection, the school has received a rating of 'good' in all areas.

Norham High School was praised for its ambitious curriculum, 'adbundance' of opportunitites and hardworking pupils.

The report was published on Wednesday, May 11 and has been a long-term goal for staff members since 2018.

It comes as a relief for parents, 94% of whom now state that their child is happy at the school and that they would reccoment it to other parents - a notable rise of 38% since 2018.

Terry Conway, Headteacher of Norham High School, said: “The school is immeasurably proud that Ofsted has recognised the immense strides the school has taken since I took up the post of Head Teacher in September 2019.

“The team of dedicated staff that I work with care deeply about our pupils and always have done. Now, through working in new, creative and highly focused ways, we get the best out of every member of our school family.

“We knew we were taking the right steps, prioritising the right things, and we are thrilled to say that despite the challenges the school faced previously - which we have eradicated - standards of behaviour, conduct and enthusiasm continue to excel.

"We are pleased Ofsted has recognised and stated we offer a good education to the children of our community – it’s what every child deserves.

"This is just the beginning of our school journey, and we continue to be ambitious for our pupils and the community we serve. Anyone who visits Norham High School recognises the unique family feel of our school, something so rare in secondary education.”

Norma Redfearn, Elected Mayor of North Tyneside Council, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Ofsted has recognised the major improvements that have been made at Norham High School over the past four years and that the school is once again a great place for local children to learn and thrive.

“We have worked closely with staff at the school to support its transformation and the glowing report is a testament to the hard work of staff and pupils at the school and their commitment to providing and receiving the best possible education.”