EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Staff praised as progressive Gloucestershire school meets Ofsted standards
The principal of Gloucestershire’s newest progressive school has praised his team’s efforts, after it met Ofsted following an inspection late last year. Wotton House International School was set up in 2016 at twin sites in Horton Road in Gloucester and the Wilderness Centre in the Forest of Dean. It is one of only 15 in the UK to offer theMiddle Years Programme, the preparatory programme for the international Baccalaureate Diploma. The ethos of the school – which has no formal exam assessments for its pupils from ages 11 to 16 – is to offer an education which mixes integrated technology, inquiry-based knowledge and outdoor education. Last November, the school finally met all standards required by Ofsted, after inspectors raised concerns in 2017 about a range of measures at the school. Dr Daniel Sturdy, the school’s principal and owner, said the Ofsted report was vindication of the work undertaken by the school’s new advisory board. “We’re delighted to have met all the necessary Ofsted standards and my team should be really proud of what they have achieved since 2017", Dr Sturdy said. “It’s been a difficult journey, but we’ve got there, and we’re looking forward to furthering the creative and intellectual growth of our current and future pupils. "Staff and parents have now been informed about the updated inspection results and are looking forward with optimism to the future, aiming to grow pupil numbers from its current level of 40. “It’s a real challenge for principals and leadership teams at alternative schools to offer an education
Dr Daniel Sturdy
which helps a child grow holistically, while still fitting within the prescriptive Ofsted framework,” Dr Sturdy added. “Indeed, I’d like to lendmy voice to the growing chorus across the UK who believe that GCSE examination is unfit for purpose and no longer suitable in modern schooling. “The Department of Education should consider whether the minimal benefits of formal examination at 16 are worth the significant damage it can do to our young people’s immediate and future confidence in learning. “So, we’re pleased to be able to offer the MYP here. It provides a much more holistic learning environment and I would like to see more progressive approaches to education across the UK” l For more information about Wotton House International School visit www.wottonhouseschool.co.uk
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80 | February 2020 | www. punchline-gloucester .com
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