When the children at Valley Park School were sent home because of coronavirus, at least it was with some good news ringing n their ears.

The school in Hunstman Lane, Maidstone, has just received a ‘Good’ Ofsted rating.

The school was put under the microscope by inspectors for two days at the start of the month.

The report concluded that the pupils at Valley Park School take learning very seriously. They work hard and teachers have high expectations of what each pupil should achieve and give them the right guidance to help them succeed.

Pupils’ behaviour was of a very high standard. They were diligent and conscientious.

Teachers had a strong subject knowledge and checked regularly for gaps in understanding.

The sixth form was particularly strong and spoke highly of the careers guidance they received.

However, inspectors noted some areas for improvement if the school wished to return to the "outstanding" rating it received in 2013.

They included further developing the curriculum, achieving better outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, working with a small minority of pupils to encourage participation and pride in their school.

Julie Derrick, the chief executive officer of the Valley Invicta Academies Trust, which runs this and other schools, said: “We are very pleased. The report gives us a very clear assessment of where Valley Park fulfils the demands of the changing educational context, as a result of the new framework.

"I have no doubt that our fantastic team of staff, ably led by head teacher Margaret Hutchinson, and deputy head teacher Dave Fuller will use their skills, passion and dedication to further develop the school."

Mrs Hutchinson, said: “Having only been in post since September, I am delighted that our school has been rated as Good already.

"At Valley Park School, we are excited about the future and the progress we are determined to make.

"I am very pleased that there is clear recognition in the report of the many excellent features that Valley Park possesses, such as pupil behaviour and diligence, the school curriculum, along with the wide range of personal development opportunities and strength of the sixth form, which have been captured clearly by the inspection team.”

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