Dear parents and carers,
I am delighted to share with you the outcomes of our recent Ofsted inspection, as published by Ofsted today.
As a school, we are incredibly proud of the outcomes of the inspection which took place on 12-13th May 2026, during which a large team of inspectors gathered extensive evidence from across the school to inform their judgements of our school.
Under the new, significantly more rigorous, Ofsted framework, the Expected Standard is a high bar to achieve. The Strong Standard is only awarded where the schools are performing significantly above national standards. The grading of ‘Exceptional’ is rarely awarded, and only where there is evidence of ‘transformational impact’ for students, in a provision that is deemed to be exemplary.
For our all-through school, inspection judgements were based on 14-year groups (EYFS to Year 13) split across two sites, meaning that the evidence required for each grading was vast.
It is, therefore, with great pride that I share with you that The Sydney Russell School achieved the Exceptional grade, along with six Strong Standard grades and one Expected Standard grade, with Inspectors stating that the work of the school has a ‘transformational impact on pupils’.
You can read the full report here: The Sydney Russell School | Ofsted report
You will read about the overwhelmingly positive evidence gathered by Inspectors across all areas of the school, with them particularly remarking on the high standards of our academic school, the high achievement of our students across all phases, the excellent behaviour and attendance of our students, the expert teacher-practice and the extensive range of the personal development provision which gives our students ‘opportunities that they would not otherwise have had the chance to’.
This is a truly fantastic achievement for our school, reflecting the hard work of our students, the highest ambition our staff have for our young people across the school, and our collective endeavour, as staff, students and families, to ensure our young people achieve their very best and have a school in which they can thrive.
As you read the report, I hope you will feel incredibly proud of your child’s school, and I thank you for your continued partnership to ensure the school goes from strength to strength. As it stands, we are the first school in the borough to achieve the Exceptional grading, and we know that this is the result of many years of hard work to secure the very highest standards for our students, who are at the heart of everything we do.
This brilliant news will be shared with students over the coming weeks through assemblies, and we look forward to celebrating this with you at our end of term events too. I take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to our continued work together as we secure and celebrate your child’s success and achievement.
Yours sincerely,
Clare Cross
Principal
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