A BRAND new school, which has ‘grown into a family’ over the past three years, has won high praise on its very first official inspection.
Ofsted inspectors graded River Tees Academy Grangetown, in Middlesbrough, outstanding for behaviour and attitudes and personal development. It was also awarded good for the quality of education and leadership and management.
The school currently caters for 60 pupils, aged 5 to 19, from Middlesbrough, Stockton, Darlington and Redcar, with social, emotional and mental health needs. Based in its temporary home at Sandringham House, Park End, it is part of the River Tees Multi Academy Trust.
Headteacher Leanne Chilton said she was delighted that the inspectors had recognised that from opening only three years ago, the school had worked as a community to reach such a high level.
She said: “We have grown as a family. Our pupils, parents and carers have been so supportive and it feels like we have all been on a journey together. The school resources, the curriculum, the staff and the pupils were all new, so we have worked together to produce a school we are all very proud of.”
She said the excellent Ofsted report was the perfect springboard for exciting times ahead, as the school was scheduled to move into purpose-built premises in Grangetown in February 2027, which would cater for 100 pupils and 60 staff.
“We are really looking forward to what the next chapter will bring,” she said. “The new building will be fantastic, purpose-built to accommodate the needs of our pupils.”
The new school will feature outdoor spaces including a MUGA, playing fields, playground and forest school. There will also be specialist rooms including a food technology kitchen, science lab, a design and technology classroom, a large sports hall, a sensory room, soft play area and immersive room and a library.
Mrs Chilton said staff and pupils had been so welcoming to inspectors.
“Pupils loved the opportunity to show inspectors their learning since joining our school,” she said. “I was thrilled that the report began by saying that ‘pupils are proud of their school’ and ended with ‘staff are proud to work at the school’. This demonstrates our commitment to providing an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere.”
Inspectors noted: “Pupils enjoy learning and are ambitious for their futures. The care and support that staff offer to pupils is second to none. Positive relationships between staff and pupils are at the centre of the supportive and aspirational culture that runs through the school. Pupils describe the school as one big happy family.”
They also highlighted that the school has extremely high expectations for what pupils will achieve. “High expectations extend to pupils’ behaviour. Pupils behave exceptionally well at the school. They are polite, courteous and respectful to each other and the adults in the building,” the report said.
Inspectors praised that the school weaved pupils’ personal development through every aspect of the curriculum. This helped to ensure that pupils were exceptionally well prepared for adulthood. They said the Key Stage 4 curriculum had been carefully designed to ensure that pupils had access to qualifications that were appropriate for them.
The report stated: “A range of academic and vocational courses equip pupils with important life skills, including skills that are informed by the needs of the local labour market. This helps to prepare pupils for life beyond school.”