School in Brockley, once listed in the top ‘stuck’ secondary schools, celebrates ‘Good’ Ofsted rating

In 2017 the school was listed by Ofsted as one of the 130 ‘stuck’ intractable schools in England that had not been rated ‘Good’ at any point over the previous decade. This new rating is the result of a determined and focused programme of improvement.

Highlights from the inspection findings include:

• the head teacher, senior leaders, and those responsible for governance, have acted with rigour to overcome the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection
• the morale of staff is high
• pupils say they are happy at school
• the majority of parents would recommend the school, and the number of pupils attending the school is rising
• children in Reception have an excellent start to their education, making outstanding progress
• pupils from key stage 1 to the age of 16 make good progress, and some attain highly
• pupils’ behaviour is good
• strong relationships between staff and pupils help pupils to feel secure and promote their learning and personal development well
• teaching in the primary phase is consistently strong
• teaching in the secondary school is good and results are improving
• the impact of improvement in the quality of teaching over the last two years is seen clearly in pupils’ work.

A Lewisham Council spokesperson said, ‘This is wonderful news and well deserved. I know that the team at Prendergast Ladywell School and the Leathersellers’ Federation have worked tirelessly to raise standards over the last two years.

‘Their efforts have more than paid off, with the school being recognised as good throughout and early years provision being rated ‘outstanding’. I congratulate all of the staff, governors and of course the pupils for this magnificent turn-around.

‘This is an inclusive school which has stayed within the local authority family of schools and has not compromised its values. It is a beacon to other schools operating in a challenging context.’

The head teacher, Niall Hand, said, ‘We are very pleased that the Prendergast Ladywell School has been recognised by Ofsted.

‘Staff at the school have worked hard to ensure that every lesson, every day, is the best it can be, and that the young people who attend this school are ready to learn, enjoying their education and are well cared for.

‘I want to thank all the Staff at the school, the Governors, our parental community and the students we serve for all their support.’