School producing admirable students

As a grandmother of two students at Beechen Cliff School, I consider the headline “prestigious school rated as inadequate” particularly misleading and sensational. Perhaps it sells newspapers. However, as was stated in the article inside the paper, Beechen Cliff is one of the best performing schools for boys in the country. The top 4% for maths and the top 13% nationally for progress in science.

Fortunately, parents and staff have rallied to the defence of the Headmaster and the school, and the Chronicle has also reported this.

I know that my son and his wife are completely satisfied with the education their two children have been receiving at Beechen Cliff, both have gained good academic results and are completely independent, thoughtful, well balanced and happy young teenagers, a credit to their parents and the school. They have arranged work experience in at a local hospital and an electronics company an recently completed the arduous 10 tors challenge on Dartmoor and, just this last weekend, 150 students from the school set off for a sponsored walk along the canal towpath from Bath to Devizes and back, in aid of local charities.

Not making light of the situation, however, one gets the impression that the Ofsted Report has been blown up out of all proportion. It is not easy running a school of 1,200 pupils and it would be unusual not to have “incidences” .

I have brought up four sons, one of which is now a headmaster and can also see the other side of the story, running a school involves a lot of hard work, love of the job and dedication. This kind of headline was quite unnecessary and, I am sure, has only added to the stress and dismay that that the headmaster and staff must be feeling.