Hardenhuish School head praises staff after Ofsted report

Hardenhuish School in Chippenham recently maintained their ‘Good’ rating during an ungraded Ofsted inspection, their first since the pandemic.

Headteacher Lisa Percy, who has overseen the academy for seven years, was thrilled high standards had been kept despite the ever-changing challenges facing schools.

She said: “We’re very, pleased, absolutely thrilled. It was positive language all the way through and a good reflection of what we are and what we do.

“There are bumps in the road and we’ve had our tricky times… I’ve been head for seven years and we’ve had some significant things we’ve dealt with in that time but it’s always rewarding.

“If we’re all working together on the same thing we can get through those challenges.

Hardenhuish School (Image: Hardenhuish School)

“Everybody has worked really hard and it’s gratifying to know that hard work has been recognised and that things we’re really proud of have come out in the report really positively.”

Mrs Percy attributed the school’s Ofsted success to the efforts of her teaching and support staff, who have worked through a trying time for the industry both nationally and locally.

She added: “It is a challenging time, but I think as a community we work really well together to work through issues and challenges.

“Our staff are completely committed and absolutely incredible… I talk all the time about our staff being our greatest resource and they put in an enormous amount of work.

“They go above and beyond all year round to support young people even more than is expected.”

In particular, Mrs Percy was proud of the praise the school received for its emphasis on pupil wellbeing.

Hardenhuish School

This has been a key area of focus for the school, and she revealed her staff had worked “tirelessly” on providing “exemplary” SEN support.

Meanwhile pastoral support is on offer from full-time councillors and staff have worked with parents to get the “best outcomes” for pupils.

The school will also be opening the Hardenhuish Fitness Suite for student use after Christmas, as part of continued efforts to improve.

Mrs Percy added: “It’s massively important, our mission is that our young people are inspired to learn, and we want them to be supported to succeed.

“We work really hard and invest a lot in making sure support is available for our young people.

“From a mental health perspective and an SEN perspective that support is there, and it makes a big difference.”