R.E.A.L Independent School Ilkeston has received its first ever Ofsted visit and achieved a brilliant overall rating of ‘Good’.
The visit took place in July this year and recognised the varied experiences the learners enjoy such as “celebrating Pride week, trips to the theatre, canoeing, and meeting Titus, the dinosaur.”
Nikki Purcell, Head of Schools said: “I’m delighted with the result we achieved. This was the third of our school inspections in just over a year and yet again our staff and learners showcased the work they do really well.”
It was noted that RIS Ilkeston “cares about each pupil as an individual” and the “relationships between staff and learners are extremely positive.”
Nikki said: “It was wonderful that the inspectors recognised how positive our relationships are with learners and their parents or carers.”
Ilkeston has helped “develop learners’ self-confidence and resilience, making them prepared for their next steps and gaining qualifications which will help them be successful in their lives.”
Nikki said: “I was lucky enough to hear parent and carer and learner feedback to inspectors during the inspection, which was at times overwhelming. Especially when one learner spoke about how his improved reading skills have impacted on his life.
I know that we make such a difference to our learners’ lives through creative re-engagement , which, as one of the parents reported, makes education a positive experience for them.”
The feedback from staff was also positive saying they’re proud to be part of the school and “leaders are supportive and considerate of their well-being and workload.”
Nikki said: “Reassuringly, the areas that inspectors identified for development were those we’d already identified and incorporated in our school improvement plan.
We’ll continue to work hard and further improve the quality of education we offer the learners who are in our care.”
