Pupils and staff at Desborough College, located in Shoppenhangers Road, have recently been celebrating as their school continues to be rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted.

The school, which is part of the successful Pioneer Educational Trust, was commended for implementing new policies that have raised expectations and improved results.

The inspector praised the new leadership at the school, particularly for recently implementing policies that have “improved students’ attendance and instilled higher expectations for independent study.”

The report reflected the positive trajectory the school is on, with fantastic progress being made following the approach of the new leadership.

Ofsted remarked that the teaching and learning, the development of a broader curriculum and high aspirations set for pupils, have helped to provide all pupils with the tools to achieve well.

The curriculum was praised for being “well planned and delivered” and for recently being broadened, and importantly, “Staff know their subjects well and teach with enthusiasm that engages pupils.”

Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education and personal development have been recently prioritised, and significantly, the PSHE curriculum is “comprehensive and well planned” across the school.

Leaders and teachers have implemented a new routine that is “consistently embedded across the school, supporting pupils to revisit previous learning. Sixth-form students benefit from precise feedback and tailored support, which helps them achieve well.”

The extra-curricular offer was praised with pupils having access to “a broad range of extra-curricular activities”, and “pupils enjoy the opportunities” provided by the house system.

The school is prioritising improving provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, therefore “Staff receive regular training and are well informed about these pupils' needs. Many pupils achieve well as a result of the support they receive.”

Desborough College is an ambitious and forward-looking school, and it is committed to building on this strong foundation to continue to improve.

For example, the school is already looking to further develop subject leaders to ensure pupils learning is secure across the curriculum. Leaders are looking forward to continuing to work with the entire school community to ensure the very best education is delivered.

Andy Murdoch, Principal at Desborough College, said “I am very proud of this recent Ofsted result, which reflects the hard work of every single member of staff at Desborough College, and our brilliant pupils. Our priority remains providing our pupils with high-quality teaching and learning that enables and empowers them to have bright futures.

“We are committed to our journey of ongoing improvement and I look forward to continuing to work with our whole school community to make our school even better.”