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Good school where 'focus is firmly on learning' the verdict for City of Portsmouth Girls' School

An overall rating of good was the result of the recent Ofsted report for City of Portsmouth Girls' School, which highlights the improving standards of teaching and learning taking place at the school.

'The headteacher and senior leaders are deeply ambitious for the school, have high expectations and have begun to set challenging targets for pupils. This is being felt across the school and the good progress demonstrated in Key Stage 3 in 2007 is now being seen in Years 10 and 11.

'Recent initiatives to shift the focus from how teachers teach to how pupils learn, to improve the tracking of pupils' progress and provide effective support to those who are identified as underachieving are having a positive impact on pupils' achievement. This is seen most clearly in Key Stage 3 where pupils are making good progress, especially in English. There are strong signs that this improvement in achievement is now being felt in Years 10 and Year 11, where current standards are rising and progress is good.'

Headteacher Sharon Watt was praised for her passion for making the school better and giving a clear understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. Teachers at the school were also recognised as having strong subject knowledge.

Ofsted identified three areas where the school could improve further. These were to:

• Make greater use of existing expertise to ensure that more lessons are of the quality of the best, so that every lesson builds well on pupils' existing skills and knowledge.
• Ensure strategies to raise achievement and standards at Key Stage 4 are consistently implemented across the school.
• Ensure that middle leaders consistently monitor the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects with greater rigour.

Pupils participations in the community was recognised as outstanding. 'Girls make a real and valuable contribution to their school and to the wider community for example as pupil community wardens.' Pupils also have increasingly high aspirations, with most choosing to attend college after year 11, often travelling outside of their area to find courses that will suit them.

The school is also 'highly successful' in promoting pupils' personal development and well-being with very good systems for supporting pupils and ensuring their welfare. Pupils also know how well they are doing and what they need to do to fulfil their potential.

Mrs Watt said: "I am really pleased that Ofsted has recognised the good level of teaching and learning that is happening at the school and has praised us for our outstanding pastoral care.

"We are working hard to raise standards and ensure that all pupils make good progress during their time at the school. We are deeply ambitious for all the girls to succeed at every level."

Executive Member for Education, Children and Young People, Eleanor Scott said: "Congratulation to City of Portsmouth Girls' School for working so hard to achieve such a good result.

"I'd like to thank everyone for their hard work in obtaining such a good result, the product of many years hard work."

City of Portsmouth Girls School has 989 pupils aged 11-16. The school has been designated a specialist school in humanities since September 2007, a Training School since April 2001 and a Leading Edge School since 2003.

The full Ofsted report can be viewed by visiting the Ofsted website.

Date : 01 April 2008