Staff and pupils at Bennett Memorial Diocesan School are celebrating the outcome of their recent SIAMS inspection, which confirmed that the school is living up to its foundation as a Church school and enabling pupils and adults to flourish.
At the heart of this report is the school vision and its impact: ‘inspired by a God who never gives up on us, we seek to empower Bennett students to live their lives tenaciously, to serve and bring meaningful change to the world.’ That vision was found to be woven through every aspect of school life, from collective worship and chaplaincy to leadership opportunities across the curriculum and wider community.
We are delighted that the inspector found that pupils can grow in confidence with a genuine commitment to serving others. The “vision-inspired ethos of love and service enthuses pupils to engage in a wide range of meaningful leadership experiences”, from the prefect system and sixth form community initiatives to the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
The inspector also found that “spiritual flourishing is at the heart of the school.” Collective worship was praised as varied, inclusive and meaningful, with pupils helping to shape its content. The chaplaincy was singled out as a real strength, “empowering pupils as spiritual leaders within and beyond school.”
The report goes on to praise the school’s “culture of mutual respect and encouragement” across the school community, with “warm, constructive relationships between pupils and staff” creating “an inclusive climate in which individuals feel known and valued.”
Dr Karen Brookes, Headteacher at Bennett Memorial, said: “I am enormously proud of what this report reflects about our community, and grateful to every member of staff, every local committee member, and every family who makes Bennett the place it is.”
Richard Tyson, Director of Workforce Development and Ethos, Tenax Schools Trust comments, “This exceptional report embodies our collective commitment to providing a transformative education for every child. The report captures how through its clear Christian vision the Bennett staff team work with a tenacious commitment to ensuring every child can achieve and flourish in the classroom and in a rich array of co-curricular opportunities. Inspired by the Bennett ‘semper tenax’ vision the report is testament to the pivotal role the school plays in preparing its students to serve others and live life with a confident wisdom, hope and love.”
All Church of England and Methodist schools are visited every five years by a SIAMS inspector, who evaluates how effectively the school knows and lives its theologically rooted Christian vision. SIAMS inspectors do not give a final grade in the way that Ofsted do. Instead, they decide on one of the following judgements:
J1 – The inspection findings indicate that the school is living up to its foundation as a Church school, and is enabling pupils and adults to flourish.
J2 – The inspection findings indicate that the school has strengths, but that there are also issues that leaders need to address as a matter of priority.
Bennett Memorial was found to be in the J1 category.
You can read Bennett Memorial’s full report here.