News

We’re approaching the end of another week, which means it’s time to celebrate another huge Ofsted win for our community!

This time, praise goes to Prosper Learning Trust who are delighted to share that Thomas Bewick School was inspected by Ofsted on 19 and 20 September, and were graded as a ‘Good’ as a result.

But we all know that ‘Good’ really means AMAZING! Especially when it comes to specialist provisions in the North East.

Plus, the report was extremely positive and reflected the school’s ability to maintain the highest standards of provision during a period of intense demand for places. Now that really is an achievement.

The school offers pupils a relevant, exciting and challenging curriculum

Thomas Bewick School is a specialist academy for pupils aged three to 19, who have a range of abilities and differences associated with Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC), and all pupils have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

The school expands across three different sites and offers pupils a relevant, exciting and challenging curriculum, which is taught and supported by a team of caring, friendly and dedicated staff who are trained in a range of ASC-specific approaches and strategies.

In 2019, Thomas Bewick School joined the Prosper Learning Trust family, and now has over 330 pupils following substantial growth over the last few years; growth that was a result of significant increase in demand for Autistic Spectrum Condition places in Newcastle.

In the report, inspectors highlighted that “Pupils are nurtured” and also observed that “Pupils enjoy coming to school. There are established routines that help them to feel safe.”

Additionally, inspectors also recognised that the staff have “high aspirations for what pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can achieve”, that “the curriculum is broad and ambitious”, and “pupils benefit from bespoke learning and therapeutic experiences.”

As well as this, they also remarked that “There is a strong focus on preparing pupils for adulthood and future careers.”

Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, said: “Everybody at Thomas Bewick School should be bursting with pride at such an amazing report – we know we certainly are!

“Ofsted inspections can be a challenging time for any school in the North East, but even more so on specialist provisions. It can’t have been easy having to grow at rapid speed in order to help meet the growing needs of young people with autism in Newcastle, but you adapted successfully, and now look!

“To achieve a ‘Good’ outcome is brilliant work, but it’s the comments made within the report that really need shouting from the rooftops. We won’t be in a hurry to forget those.”

Staff delighted by the positive feedback

Daley Barber-Allen, Head Teacher of Thomas Bewick School, said: “I am delighted by the positive feedback received and am pleased that the summary of findings described in the report accurately reflect our journey as a school, and the huge amount of great work that has been done over the past few years.

“I am constantly impressed by the expertise, skill and team effort I see in school every day which has undoubtedly led to this fantastic achievement. I am also grateful for the continued engagement and support we receive from Prosper Learning Trust and our wider TRUST school community, which all helps to make Thomas Bewick a really ‘good’ school.

“The lead inspector’s final words were: ‘I am very excited about this school’ which was lovely to hear… as I couldn’t agree more!”

Chris Richardson, Chief Executive Officer of Prosper Learning Trust, said: “Thomas Bewick school has faced significant challenges in the last few years, growing rapidly in order to help Newcastle meet the needs of more and more young people with autism in the city.

“ The staff team have worked incredibly hard to ensure that throughout that time the educational experience of all of the pupils there has remained of the highest quality.

“They provide a rich and appropriate curriculum, great teaching and the highest standards of care. It is wonderful to see Ofsted recognise this during their inspection and the report is a tribute to all who work and learn there.”

Well done to everyone who contributed to such an immense achievement. Autumn 2023 will go down in the books as a very good one indeed for Thomas Bewick School, and it’s very much deserved.

Propser Learning Trust is a Schools North East Partner Trust. If you’d like to find out more about our Partner School membership, click here.

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