Students and staff at Greater Peterborough UTC, part of Meridian Trust, are celebrating after receiving a good rating in a recent Ofsted inspection.
Greater Peterborough UTC, which provides STEM-specialist education for students aged from 11 to 19, was rated as ‘Good’ in all areas after inspectors visited in October 2022.
The school was rated ‘good’ in the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and sixth-form provision.
The report highlighted students enjoyed learning, behaved well and were taught by teachers who have “expert knowledge”.
David Bisley, Principal at Greater Peterborough UTC, said: “We are a close-knit community at Greater Peterborough UTC and I am very pleased the Ofsted inspectors found that students, staff and the wider school community are dedicated to supporting each other towards success.
“We pride ourselves on the uniqueness of our curriculum – particularly within the local geographical area – and strive to offer students a rich variety of learning experiences in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to set them up for future career paths.
“We at Greater Peterborough UTC look forward to continuing to work alongside our students, parents, staff and Meridian Trust to ensure that we continue to build on this success.”
Points highlighted in the report included that:
• Students respond well to leaders’ clear expectations of behaviour. As soon as they join the school, pupils feel well supported and build strong relationships with other students.
• Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs
and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Leaders provide opportunities for students, including those in the sixth form, to engage with employers, UTC sponsors and local universities. This gives them a solid foundation upon which to plan their next steps.
• Students develop an age-appropriate understanding of relationships through the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum.
• Staff feel well supported in school. Leaders are considerate of staff’s workload and well-being.
The arrangements for safeguarding at the school were found to be effective with all staff understanding that safeguarding is a priority in the school.
Greater Peterborough UTC joined Meridian Trust in June 2021. Meridian Trust looks after 28 other schools in the region. Ofsted reported that the Trust and school governors, through their wide range of experience and skills, hold leaders to account through the questions they ask.
Mark Woods, Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Trust, said: “It is pleasing to see that this Ofsted report reflects the very positive all-round experience given to students at Greater Peterborough UTC.
“With the support of the school community and the local employer and organisation sponsors and partners, Greater Peterborough UTC is going from strength to strength.
“The success is even more impressive because it has been achieved despite all the challenges that the pandemic has created for schools over the last two years. We are proud to have Greater Peterborough UTC within the Meridian Trust family of schools and look forward to working together for future success.”
For more information about Greater Peterborough UTC, please visit: https://gputc.org/