Ambergate Sports College in Grantham continues to be rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted

A Grantham school continues to be rated “outstanding” following a short inspection.

Ambergate Sports College in Dysart Road has maintained its “outstanding” grade after a visit from Ofsted.

The school is part of Grantham Additional Needs Fellowship, which is run by the Community Inclusive Trust (CIT).

It was first graded as “outstanding” by Ofsted in January 2013. A follow-up short inspection in 2017 resulted in a continuation of that rating.

Ofsted’s most recent visit to the school in March was the second short visit since 2013 and ended with the same result.

The Ofsted report said: “Ambergate Sports College is a kind and welcoming place to learn in.

“Pupils are happy and a delight to speak with. Before pupils join the school, staff work with families so that pupils make an excellent start at school.

“Pupils gain confidence, make friends and enjoy their education. They feel safe in school.”

According to the report, many parents comment positively about the school.

One parent said: “This is a fantastic school. My child has thrived over the past four years. They absolutely love being at school. They are nurtured and well cared for and making excellent progress both socially and academically.”

Peter Bell, CEO of CIT, said: "Congratulations to the executive head, governors and staff team for all their hard work providing such high levels of education and care to all the pupils."

The report explained that, since the last inspection, the nature of the cohort of pupils attending the school has changed.

It said: “Now, a greater proportion of pupils who come to the school have more complex needs. Leaders are adapting the curriculum in response to this change in cohort.

“There have been many changes during recent times. The new leadership team has been sharply focused on improving pupils’ behaviour and developing the curriculum. These are having a positive impact.”

In terms of improvements, the report said: “In some areas of the curriculum, leaders have not yet precisely planned the key knowledge they want pupils to know. This means that, in these subjects, pupils do not always develop a secure enough knowledge on which they can build their future learning.”