A BASINGSTOKE school has been awarded an overall grade of ‘good’ by Ofsted after it achieved ‘outstanding’ grade in three of the four categories inspected.

Brighton Hill Community School has been awarded ‘outstanding’ for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

It is awarded ‘good’ for the category of quality of education.

The school was inspected on April 26 and 27.

The previous grade of the school was also ‘good’.

Headteacher Chris Edwards said he is absolutely thrilled because since the new Ofsted framework began in 2019, less than 10 per cent of secondary schools are awarded an ‘outstanding’ grade for one element, let alone three key areas.

“We are absolutely thrilled with this recognition from Ofsted, who have awarded us the highest rating of ‘outstanding’ in three of the four categories available,” he said.

“The team here at Brighton Hill has worked so hard to transform the school to its current status as the pride of the local community. Our students, parents and governors have come together to create an incredibly special ethos, which shines through in this report.

“The opening line that ‘pupils are keen to explain why they believe that Brighton Hill is such a special school’ says absolutely everything about our culture here, where ‘kindness is at the heart of the school’s ethos’. This is far from the end of our journey; we have grand plans to become the very best school that our country has to offer.”

Stephen Reid, county councillor for Basingstoke South West, congratulated Mr Edwards and the school for the achievement.

Cllr Reid said: “When Chris Edwards took over the leadership at Brighton Hill, he accepted the challenge to get the school to ‘outstanding’. Given the difficult years that the school had been through, that was ambitious - but he is pretty well there.

“With three out of four headings at ‘outstanding’ now, and one at ‘good’, Ofsted has confirmed what we all can see - Brighton Hill has been turned round and is one of the best secondary schools in the area.

“Parents have seen it too, and now a school that once attracted less than 80 pupils in a year, takes its full complement of 255 and has a waiting list. Well done Chris, and your team."

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