DROITWICH Spa High School has a strong community ethos and the personal development of its students is good, according to Ofsted.

The school has been praised in its latest report, which rates it as “good” overall.

Headteacher Natalie Waters said: “I am absolutely delighted with the report. It is a real tribute to the hard work of both staff and students.”

Inspectors visited in October and spoke to pupils, who said they enjoyed school.

“This is evident in their good behaviour around school and positive attitudes to learning,” the inspectors said.

The report recognised achievements at the school, which is a specialist sports college.

“This has provided many opportunities for students to be valued and to become leaders in the school and wider community, for example by students organising clubs and events inside school and within the local feeder system,” the inspectors said.

They said: “The development of motivation among students emanates from the high quality of expertise and work in the sports faculty. The department has helped to enhance the skills of teachers directly within sport and other subjects through evaluation and discussion of effective teaching approaches.”

The school achieved “good” grades in five of the eight inspection areas, scoring “satisfactory” in the other three.

Inspectors said the curriculum was expanding to further meet a wider range of needs and interests, particularly vocational pathways.

“The curriculum engages almost all the students and enables them to achieve successful outcomes. This is clearly apparent in the very high proportion of students gaining at least five GCSE passes in 2007,” they said.

Assessment practice at the school was described as exemplary. “Teachers and students know current standards precisely and what steps students must take to improve further,” the report said.

WHAT THE OFSTED INSPECTORS SAID ABOUT DROITWICH SPA HIGH SCHOOL

STAR RATINGS Overall effectiveness of the school: *** Effectiveness of the sixth form: ** Acheivement: *** Development: *** Teaching: ** Curriculum: *** Care and Support: *** Leadership: **

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL * Students achieve well because of the successful combination of the sound teaching of a good curriculum and good personal development. * Boys achieve particularly well because of the effective impact of the specialist sports college provision on all students’ motivation, most particularly in key stage 4. * Assessment practice in some subjects is exemplary. * Good leadership by the new headteacher has quickly reinforced the school’s behaviour management system by firm and consistent application of its codes. * The curriculum in the main school is well planned.

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED * Plan lessons to meet varied needs, interests and prior knowledge of all students. * Make sure marking consistently informs all students of what they should do to improve their work.