We are delighted to share with you the full Ofsted report which we received following the inspection on 1st and 2nd April 2025, which states that the school’s work may have improved significantly since the last inspection. This report is the best possible outcome for the school and means that evidence gathered during the inspection suggests that if a graded inspection took place all judgements would be outstanding.
There is so much for the whole Southgate school community to be proud of, not least that in so many ways, our students remain our best ambassadors; how they conducted themselves across the two days in various meetings with the inspection team, showed a maturity and decency that was just fantastic. There are many comments that we are proud to read and it says a great deal about the experience and insights of the of the inspectors that they were able to recognise that our ‘exceptionally high expectations of every pupil’ and that students receive ‘excellent outcomes.’
It is notable that whilst in our last report Ofsted quoted a student saying that ‘there is never a day that I don’t want to come to school’ in this report they state that ‘pupils at Southgate school are happy and enjoy their learning’ a consistent message about what is unique about our school that makes us as successful as we are. It is simply impossible to conjure such an ethos and sentiment across the school over two days, so this is the outcome of years of hard work by all members of the school community.
The main purpose of the inspection and the report is to provide external validation of what we already know about our school: ‘Students in the sixth form also perform well across a broad range of subjects’ ‘Pupils behave extremely well.’ ‘In class, pupils focus on their learning, and disruptions are rare.’ ‘Teachers are specialists and know their subjects well. They use the most effective teaching strategies’ ‘Disadvantaged pupils also achieve extremely well’ ‘pupils with SEND achieve well, including in assessments at the end of Years 11 and 13’
Whilst the report highlights no areas for improvement, we are not complacent and are constantly seeking to improve our practices to be the best that we can be. This report highlights the exceptional work that happens in our school on a daily basis, validates our actions to date and points the way forward to future, sustained success.
