Pioneering South West school praised for helping pupils make “life-changing” progress
“Inspirational” staff at a pioneering South West school have been praised for helping pupils make “life-changing” progress.
The work of teachers and workers at the Exeter Mathematics School is “wonderful” and “transformational”, according to parents and young people, and inspectors have heaped praise on the way they keep pupils safe and help those in difficulty.
Staff step in to support students when others have failed them, according to Ofsted. A “tenacious and resourceful approach” helped get financial support and accommodation for a student who was found to be homeless.
Exeter Mathematics School, which opened in 2014, is one of only two specialist state schools for enthusiastic young mathematicians and scientists in England. The sixth form offers young people in the South West who show potential to do well in STEM subjects the chance to study in an exciting and challenging environment, and work with leading academics at the University of Exeter. Students who live too far away to commute daily live together in supervised accommodation during the week. They also complete further subjects at Exeter College, another sponsor.
A newly-published report by Ofsted says the school is outstanding in the way it helps and protects young people and the experience it provides for them.
Kerry Burnham, the school’s headteacher, said: “We're delighted that Ofsted recognised the exceptional boarding provision. Thanks to the dedication and commitment of our residential team, we are able to effectively serve the whole of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset. I hope that maths enthusiasts from the far reaches of our catchment area will feel confident that we will provide them with a safe environment in which they can flourish whilst studying away from home for the first time.”
One parent told one inspector that he dropped an “anxious, scared student - who had previously been bullied and really struggled in the past - off at the school for the first time on a Monday and the difference in five days was unbelievable. The parent said: “The student I got back on the Friday was barely recognisable and couldn’t wait to return to the school”.
Ofsted, who visited the school last month, said staff and students “work in partnership producing an environment where students thrive academically, socially and emotionally”. The report says “uniqueness is valued. The service provided is bespoke, and students make life-changing progress” and “leaders and managers are inspirational. They lead by example and make decisions that are informed by research, experience and from meaningful consultation with students”.
Staff who run the school’s residential accommodation were praised for meeting students’ individual social and emotional need.
The report says: “Leaders, managers, staff and students have successfully created a positive environment that helps students to flourish. Staff and students interact positively with one another, and there is a clear focus on partnership working and respect.
“Students have said that this is the first time they have felt accepted and valued for their unique differences. Students describe the school as life changing. One student told the inspector he could not find the words to express the positive difference this school had made to him.”
Inspectors found pupils make “outstanding” progress in developing emotional resilience, confidence and independence skills.
