'Exceptional' Leeds grammar school with outstanding behaviour and curriculum inspected by Ofsted

Prince Henry’s Grammar School, located on Farnley Lane, Otley, was rated outstanding across all five inspected areas - the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and sixth-form provision.

One of the founding partners of the Collaborative Learning Trust, it is the school’s first Outstanding rating following back-to-back Good reports.

The education watchdog said: “Pupils and staff are proud to be part of this exceptional school community. Pupils are ambitious for their futures. Staff have high expectations of everyone.

“Many pupils achieve exceptionally well. Everyone has the opportunity to flourish. Pupils respect and celebrate each other’s differences. The school ensures that everyone can, and will, succeed in their future endeavours.”

Pupils “develop into responsible citizens” and appreciate people who are different or less fortunate than themselves.

The school’s curriculum is “regularly reviewed and refined.” This ensures that it meets the needs of all pupils well.

Inspectors added: “Pupils achieve highly because they have developed the skills and knowledge that they need at each stage of their education. Students in the sixth form benefit from a strong foundation in key stages 3 and 4 to succeed as they get older.

“The school uses a variety of assessments to find out what pupils’ specific needs might be. This is also the case for pupils with SEND. The school leaves no stone unturned when identifying how to support pupils at all stages of their education, including students in the sixth form.”

The attendance of disadvantaged pupils has “not met the school’s ambitious targets over time” but this has been rapidly addressed and improvements have been made.

The school has a “skilled and committed staff body.” Well-being and workload are carefully considered when making changes. Staff feel “valued and well supported.”

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Headteacher Sally Bishop said: “To hear the many accolades was moving. To have our values of honesty, kindness, confidence, independence, ambition and resilience quoted back at us in spades was amazing in describing our whole community.

“To hear that we have ‘phenomenal staff and practices which are worthy of sharing with other schools’ was humbling. However, we are not complacent, we will continue to make our school even better.”