Many thanks to all of our parents/carers who took the time to fill in a survey form recently.  We received an incredible response, with over two hundred and fifty families expressing their views, approximately one quarter of our school community.

The anonymous questionnaire was based closely on the questions which Ofsted, the body responsible for monitoring standards in schools, use to judge parental satisfaction at schools across England.

We received a positive endorsement for the culture of confidence, respect and success that lies at the core of our school.  This was demonstrated by the following:

83% of our students are happy at school

85% of our parents/carers believe the school has high expectations of its students

82% would of our parents/carers would recommend us to another parent

Teaching and learning was also noted as a strength, with responses showing that:

85% notice their son or daughter is doing well at the school

91% commented there is a good range of subjects at the school

84% agree that they are kept apprised of how their son/daughter is doing

In addition to this, we were really pleased to find that satisfaction in our communication systems has continued to improve, with 91% feeling that they receive valuable information in relation to progress.

The survey has also helped us to identify areas for development.  Whilst the majority of parents are either unaware of bullying incidents at Wellsway, or are satisfied with their knowledge of how we deal with them, 8% of our parents and carers voiced concerns.  Likewise, 18% of our parents felt that behaviour is not always good. Other areas identified to us were that 42% of students had not taken part in extra-curricular activities, 7% felt that SEND support is not always sufficient to help their chid to succeed and 14% commented that concerns could be dealt with in a more timely manner.

As a result, we have recently reviewed and improved our behaviour systems and will continue to seek the opinions of students, parents and carers to ensure that these changes have a positive impact.  The number of bullying incidents reported at Wellsway is extremely low and we therefore urge you to contact us at enquiries@wellswayschool.com if you have any concerns in relation to your child or another individual. We have a new Director for our SEND team who has already begun to work on identified areas for improvement and the school is also working hard to ensure communications are regularly reviewed and concerns are dealt with promptly and appropriately.

One final area that was highlighted by a number of parents/carers was the system for on-line parents’ evenings. While there are many positives for continuing to use our on-line system, we also recognise a desire by some parents/carers to return to face-to-face meetings. As a result, we will be in touch again soon with a consultation on the future model of this crucial part of our home-school communications.

Finally it was really helpful to read the comments which some parents and carers chose to add at the end of the survey.  We are particularly grateful for the many comments thanking our staff for their dedication and hard work.

“My son has been experiencing a lot of anxiety and the support from the school team has been really good.”
“My daughter is very happy at Wellsway and is doing very well in all areas. She particularly enjoys the extra-curricular activities.”
“My child feels more confident in her subjects than at the beginning of year especially after hearing teachers’ feedbacks at the parents’ evening.  Her violin ability got recognised and I am happy to see her enjoy playing music in school. “
“The school have welcomed and supported my child and we are extremely pleased with her time at Wellsway.”
“All 3 of my children have been well supported at this school.”
“Sixth form is great. Great support for the kids. Good support for UCAS.”
“My daughter is very happy at Wellsway. The teachers and staff have always been very helpful. I would always recommend Wellsway school.”