Thursday 28th February 2008
(ref:
58/2008)
A Wigan special school which has been open for less than two years has received the highest possible marks from government education watchdogs.
The New Greenhall School opened on its current site at Green Hall Close in Atherton, in September 2006 following Wigan Council’s re-organisation of special needs education.
The school, which caters for children aged from two to 14 with complex learning difficulties, recently played host to an inspection team from education standards body, Ofsted.
The team, which included one of the country’s leading special needs inspectors Caroline Broomhead, was full of praise for the Atherton school.
The subsequent Ofsted report says simply: “New Greenhall is an outstanding school.”
It continues: “Visitors to the school are immediately struck by the politeness and courtesy shown by the pupils, the high standards of care and attention given to the pupils by the staff and the superb displays of pupils’ work around the school.”
The inspectors praised New Greenhall’s broader curriculum which has been tailored to fit the requirement of all pupils.
The inspectors note that the school’s ethos is one which sees ‘learning being fun as well as challenging’ and adds:
“As a result they (pupils) enjoy coming to school and make good and, in some cases, exceptional progress in their learning.”
Achievement and standards at New Greenhall are good with many children with moderate learning difficulties making the same progress as children without learning difficulties.
The report adds: “The achievement of some pupils with severe learning difficulties is also exceptionally good.”
Personal development and well-being are heralded as outstanding by the inspection team. Pupil behaviour is classed as ‘excellent’.
“They learn to look after themselves and others,” the report says. “Parents agree and recognise the excellent work of the school. The school is a rich learning environment, which the pupils respect and contribute to.”
Headteacher Tony Triska and the school’s senior management team come in for particular praise from Ofsted and are, once again labelled as outstanding.
“The headteacher and his deputy provide strong leadership and a clear direction for the school,” says the report. “They set and model high standards in all aspects of the school’s work.”
The report also notes:
“The headteacher has been exceptionally successful in building on the very good practice which existed when it was a primary school and establishing the same high standards with a new team of staff. He and his deputy headteacher have created a warm, welcoming and happy environment in which the pupils and staff feel valued.”
Speaking about the report’s findings, Mr Triska says:
“Everyone connected with the school is delighted to have been judged outstanding, especially as we only opened as a new school in September 2006, following the re-organisation of special schools. The lead inspector was amazed that we have made such progress in such a short time. The children are to be rewarded with a big party, because they were brilliant!”
Wigan Council’s Cabinet Champion for Children and Young People Cllr Brian Wilson, added:
“Congratulations go to everyone at New Greenhall School, such an accolade from Ofsted is a very real recognition of the excellent work that goes on at the school. The need to provide our children with the very best educational opportunities lay at the heart of our review of special needs education and the New Greenhall is a shining example of the results of the review in action.”
