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Guernsey's school for children experiencing social, emotional and mental health difficulties has received a positive report from Ofsted which has rated it 'Good' in all four categories following a recent inspection.
The last time Les Voies School was inspected it was rated as “Inadequate” in three categories, and “Requires Improvement” in another by the Office for Standards in Education, Children Services and Skills (Ofsted).
Just two years on, and the team - led by Headteacher Jon Furley - has now received a much more positive review, with Les Voies now described as a "rapidly improving" school.
The latest inspection was carried out in September, with a monitoring visit in November last year, following the negative inspection report received in October 2022.
Pictured: Les Voies has moved from an 'Inadequate' and 'Requires Improvement' rating to 'Good' in just two years.
"I want to thank everyone for the hard work that has brought the school to where it is," said Mr Furley.
"The staff have gone above and beyond to ensure that the needs of all our students are met. The school has been well supported to develop its curriculum and the high-quality practices that were observed by inspectors.
"I want to thank our parents and carers who support what we do and continue to work in partnership to secure the best outcomes for their children. I was pleased that the school was recognised as being ‘transformational for its students’.
"We look forward to continuing our journey of school improvement and ensuring our students get the best possible quality of education.
"The final mention is to our students who continue to breakdown barriers and be the best version of themselves."
Pictured: Les Voies received a 'Good' rating across the board.
Ofsted rates schools in four categories: The Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development and Welfare, and Leadership and Management.
Each category receives a grade of either Inadequate, Requires Improvement, Good or Excellent.
Following the 'Inadequate' and 'Requires Improvement' rating of two years ago, Ofsted has now said the school's leaders "responded positively and determinedly to previous inspection findings and significantly strengthened the curriculum and how it was taught, allowing many pupils to now develop independent skills and attain qualifications".
The full report can be read HERE. It states that the inspectors found Les Voies was "a place of transformation for its pupils" and that the "pupils benefit from staff promoting routines, relationships and responses effectively, and establishing positive relationships and setting clear expectations".
Staff have also been praised for managing behaviour consistently.
Les Voies' pupils are said to "feel safe and say that adults consistently manage their behaviour". The school itself was also highlighted for having "effective safeguarding arrangements".
The pupils’ "talents, interests and social opportunities are nurtured considerably, with pupils contributing to their school in a range of ways, including through leadership roles," said Ofsted's inspectors.
Les Voies was told of some areas where improvements can still be made too - with a need to expand pupils’ understanding of other cultures, and giving them more support to develop positive understandings of diversity.
The report also encouraged the school to refine its relatively new curriculum.
Pictured (l-r): Nick Hynes and Andrea Dudley-Owen.
With its comprehensive 'Good' rating, Les Voies joins other schools in receiving positive Ofsted reports this year.
Forest, St Mary and St Michael, and Vauvert primary schools all received the same ratings this year, along with Les Beaucamps and St Sampson's high schools. Like Les Voies, St Sampson's has received a negative report two years' ago before turning its fortunes around.
Guernsey's education leaders said Les Voies staff and supporters have helped the school turn around its own inspection rating.
"Ofsted has now visited Les Voies three times in the past two years, and initially identified areas for improvement, which the team have now been able to build on and move the school to a position of achieving an exceptionally positive report," said Nick Hynes, Director of Education.
"I know the team has worked tirelessly to reach this position, and I would like to thank them all for their hard work. Congratulations to the school community for this achievement.”
Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, also congratulated and thanked the Les Voies team for their work.
"On behalf of the Committee I would like to publicly thank the entire Les Voies Community for their hard work leading to this result. Les Voies is a school which seeks to give opportunities to those young people who have struggled to engage with education, and who can benefit from a different school environment to support them to unlock their potential.
"To receive “good” ratings across the board is a significant achievement and one everyone should be rightly proud of. The improvements at Les Voies, show the value of the inspection process. They identify areas for improvement and allow our teams to action those areas to ensure we are always bettering the way we educate and teach our young people."
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