UTC Heathrow is celebrating some extremely Good news after receiving excellent marks following its Ofsted inspection.
The whole school community is delighted to have been awarded a Good rating in all areas following an inspection on 7 and 8 February 2023.
This grading highlights the rapid and robust transformation of the school since its previous inspection in February 2017, where, trading under its former name Heathrow Aviation Engineering UTC, it received a ‘Requires Improvement’ rating.
Activate Learning Education Trust (ALET) took over the school in 2018, rebranding it UTC Heathrow, and set about making sweeping changes to improve the school. All of this was done amid the Covid pandemic.
Inspectors were especially impressed with the careers focus and the good relationships throughout the school, saying:
- Pupils enjoy school, and relish learning their specialist subjects. The work with employers combines to give pupils a deep understanding of the world of work, and the qualities employers look for in their employees.
- Leaders are ambitious for pupils and prepare them well for life after school, providing strong advice and careers guidance.
- Staff build up positive relationships with pupils and get to know pupils well. One pupil said: ‘this is a place where if you ask for help, you will get it’.
- Pupils behave well, are well looked after and safe, with sixth form students (providing) positive role models for younger pupils.
Executive Principal Wayne Edwards
said: “I am proud of what has been achieved at the UTC Heathrow over the last few years and this result is testament to all the hard work of the staff and students that have been part of the journey to making UTC Heathrow a ‘good’ school. The education and experiences that the students get here is fantastic and the destinations that they go to is second to none. We can now say we are a good school, which I have always believed and having the recognition from Ofsted means that we can now strive to become even better.”
Jonathan Adams, Chair of Governors, said: “We are absolutely delighted with this result which reflects the hard work and dedication of the staff and students at UTC Heathrow. Members of the Local Governing Committee believe passionately in the UTC Heathrow curriculum which helps provide students with the academic and technical skills they will need to succeed in further study and employment. This inspection result demonstrates the success of this approach.”
Cheri Ashby, Group Executive Director of ALET, said: “On behalf of the Trustees of Activate Learning Education Trust we would like to congratulate the UTC Heathrow Local Governing Committee, senior leaders, staff and pupils on their achievements reflected in the inspection report. At the heart of our Trust’s strategy is our Learning Philosophy, which enables all pupils, whatever their individual backgrounds and prior experience, to fulfil their potential. This approach to learning is reflected in the success of UTC Heathrow.”
The full report can be found on the Ofsted here
