Dear Parents/Carers and Staff

One of the real pleasures of being Chair of Governors is to see the excellent progress that our wonderful school is making.

As a governing body we witness the progress on a regular basis both through our visits into school and when we have governing body meetings to look at school data, review our school policies and study the half-termly Headteachers report which summarises improvements and areas to refine across the school. We are then able to relate this information through observations we have made during our visits.

The one time that we get a true and independent reflection on the school’s progress is during an Ofsted inspection. The previous school inspection had judged the school to be ‘Good’ in February 2019. As many of you are aware, on 31^st  January/ 1^st February 2024, Ofsted Inspectors once again visited our school over two days to carry out an ungraded inspection to ensure that progress has been maintained and that we are still providing a high level of both educational and social development for all our learners.

Following this visit, I am delighted to say that the school has retained its grading of ‘Good’. When Ofsted have previously judged a school to be ‘Good’, they will then normally return to the school four years later in the inspection cycle to confirm that the school remains ‘Good’. This is called an ungraded inspection. Ofsted do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if they find evidence that a school would have received a higher grade had the inspection been a graded one, then the next inspection would be graded, this is usually within one to two years. Having completed their recent ungraded inspection, we are thrilled to inform you that they concluded that ‘the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might be outstanding if a graded inspection were carried out now’.

This recognition from Ofsted not only highlights our continuous progress but also acknowledges our collective efforts in creating a nurturing, inclusive and thriving learning environment.

I would like to pay tribute to the strong leadership and commitment of Sarah Hurtado and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), and all our exceptional staff for providing the best opportunities for the learners - the glowing report from Ofsted is testament to their dedication, hard work, and unwavering commitment to our learners and school.

I would also like to thank all the parents and carers who responded to the Ofsted online questionnaire (Parent View) - these opinions really matter. There were a resounding number of positive comments made in the survey and this is evidence of the strong engagement and relationships between Strathmore and our Strathmore families.

An additional thank you to our team of governors who dedicate their own time and commitment to the school on a voluntary basis. We are an ambitious, skilled and strong team made of up talented and professional individuals who bring a wide range of expertise, knowledge and experience to the table to ensure our governance is effective and that we hold the school leadership to account for the performance of the school whether that be the quality of education, safeguarding or management of the school and its staff.

And finally, a big thank you to our learners, the Ofsted Inspectors remarked in their verbal feedback that “the pupils have been a genuine delight to be with”, and they were made to feel very welcome.

For those who haven't already done so, I would recommend that you read the full report which can be found on the school’s website https://www.strathmore.richmond.sch.uk/page/?title=OFSTED&pid=12

As a Governing Body, together with the Senior Leadership Team, our staff and school community, we will continue to strive for excellence in all areas and already have plans in place to build upon the constructive feedback shared in this report and during the inspection.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,                                                                                           

Jane Curzon

Chair of Governors