Students and staff at a Battersea school are celebrating their recent Ofsted inspection, after being rated ‘Outstanding’ in every category.

Just over three years ago, Harris Academy Battersea in Battersea Park Road, formerly known as Battersea Park School, was rated as inadequate by Ofsted.

Since joining the Harris Federation, the school has turned it around and was shown in recent school performance tables to be the highest performing school in Wandsworth.

Harris Academy Battersea Principal David Moody said: “It has been an incredible few years at our academy and this Ofsted rating is the icing on the cake. We are thrilled with the comments from the inspectors as they recognise what is true every day at Harris Academy Battersea”.

“This ‘outstanding’ rating is a testament to the commitment and hard work of the entire team – our staff, governors, the Harris Federation, parents and pupils – who put so much energy into making our school not only a fantastic place to learn but a place that can transform the life chances of many young people."

The Ofsted report praises the outstanding behaviour of pupils, which is described as ‘exemplary’ by inspectors. The report also highlights the academy’s ‘outstanding leadership’.

The report noted that disadvantaged students make ‘excellent progress’ at the school. However, it’s not just disadvantaged pupils that make progress, with the academy being ranked the fourth best school in the entire country for pupil progress for a second year in a row.

The Ofsted inspector’s comments included:

• Pupils have an understanding of their own personal strengths and they take pride in their work.

• The teaching, learning and assessment across the school are of high quality.

• Leaders prepare pupils well for adult life through workshops, assemblies and in lessons.

Here you can read the complete Ofsted report.