A HEREFORDSHIRE secondary school which was praised by Ofsted for letting its student pluck pheasants has said it is extremely proud.

Ofsted inspectors revisited John Masefield High School, in Mabel’s Furlong, Ledbury, to carry out an ungraded inspection – saying it continues to be good.

Inspectors Antony Edkins and Janet Lewis said the school, with 889 pupils aged between 11 and 18, made pupils feel happy and safe, with staff making time for students, listening to their concerns and rewarding them for hard work.

RELATED NEWS:

They said students, who behaved well, appreciated confidential support with bullying, with a dedicated app allowing them to report it anonymously.

The pair said "pupils can do unusual stuff at this exciting school" such as making two-tone cupcakes, plucking pheasants, taking part in an escape room team-building exercises, going to the theatre in Cardiff or visiting Normandy or Berlin.

The curriculum was praised, and there was said to be strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Safeguarding was said to be effective, and the school was also told it had good personal development and careers curriculum.

Want to stay up to date with all the latest news for your local area? It's easy, just sign up for our weekly email newsletter here and all the important stories that matter to you will be delivered straight to your inbox.

However, inspectors said senior leaders had not checked that all pupils in key stage four, years 10 and 11 (14 to 16 years old), were learning enough in information technology (IT).

Over the course of the two days, inspectors visited lessons, spoke with staff and students, considered parent questionnaire responses and examined school policies and provisions.

Ofsted puts schools under more demand

The school said: "What comes through strongly throughout the report is that John Masefield is a school where there is strong support from staff, students, parents, and carers."

It said the new inspection system places significantly more demands on schools, but it had continued to be good in the eyes of the school inspectorate.

Headteacher Andy Evans felt that inspectors had been extremely thorough in their work but had reached a conclusion that recognised many of the strengths of John Masefield.

OTHER NEWS:

He said: "I am delighted and extremely proud of the school community for all the work that goes into making John Masefield such a good school.

"The report is a testament to the commitment we all share to providing excellent and enjoyable learning in a safe and supportive environment.

"Whilst this is a positive report, we are always seeking to build and improve on the strengths of the school. We will continue to work tirelessly to make JMHS the best place to learn.

"I would like to thank the staff and governors for their tremendous hard work and give rich praise to the students, parents and carers who play such a crucial role in the success of our school."