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Press release: Top schools and colleges praised in Ofsted's outstanding schools and colleges list 2004/05

24 schools celebrate hat-trick of outstanding awards

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools, David Bell, has praised 457 top schools and colleges across England in his annual list of outstanding schools and colleges, which is published today by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).

Schools on the list provide an excellent quality of education across the full range of their work and high levels of pupil achievement. The colleges of further education included in the list provide a consistently high standard of education and training for their students across an often diverse and complex range of provision.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools, David Bell, said:

"I applaud the headteachers, staff, governors and pupils or students of all the successful schools and colleges named in the list on their success and hard work in delivering such an excellent standard of education and training.

"All those on the list have characteristics that distinguish outstanding education and training. They have strong, dynamic leadership and excellent or very good teaching that results in pupils or students making progress and achieving very well."

For 24 schools, it is their third time on the list after having been judged to be outstanding in all three of their inspections over the last thirteen years. For 78 schools and colleges, it is their second time on the list.

Mr Bell added:

"Schools that have been identified as outstanding in not just one but two or three inspections have proved themselves to be consistently high achievers and the best of the best. I would like to pay particular tribute to our double dozen of triple winners, the 24 schools identified for the third time. Everyone associated with these schools should feel a particular sense of pride today."

Six schools are on the list that were previously subject to special measures, had serious weaknesses or had been designated as underachieving by Ofsted.

Mr Bell added:

"It is a remarkable achievement to have gone from this position to become an outstanding school and I congratulate these six schools on the significant progress they have made."

For the first time this year, the list has not been published as part of the Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools. The annual report was published in October, as close as possible to the end of the academic year 2004/05, to give the findings increased relevance and enable them to be more helpful in the public debate about education.

Notes For Editors

1.The outstanding schools and colleges list for 2004/05 will be published on the Ofsted website at 00.01am Wednesday 7th December. The inspection reports for all schools and colleges on the list can be found on the website.

2.For an embargoed copy of the full list, the list of schools and colleges that have received two or three outstanding inspection reports and the list of six schools that have previously been in an Ofsted category of concern please contact Emma Pickles in the Ofsted press office on 0207 421 6899.

3.In 2004/05 there were inspections of 1,998 primary schools; 68 nursery schools; 485 secondary schools; 152 special schools; and 48 pupil referral units. The reports for these schools can be found by using the search mechanism on Ofsted’s website.

4.Further education colleges are inspected jointly with the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) under the Learning and Skills Act 2000. In 2004/05, 62 further education/ tertiary/specialist colleges, 32 sixth form colleges and 23 independent specialist colleges were inspected. In addition, Ofsted inspection further education provision in 10 higher education institutions. The inspection reports for these institutions can be found by using the search mechanism on Ofsted’s website.

5.Ofsted is a non-ministerial government department established under the Education (Schools) Act 1992 to take responsibility for the inspection of all schools in England. Its role also includes the inspection of further education, local authority children’s services, teacher training institutions and some independent schools. During 2001, Ofsted became responsible for inspecting all 16-19 education and for the regulation of early years childcare, including childminders.

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