Wigan headteacher delighted as Byrchall High School receives glowing report from Ofsted inspectors

Byrchall High School in Ashton was judged to be “good” in all four inspection areas.

Ofsted said the school’s strategy “has pupils’ best interests at heart” and improvements in recent years have made “a real and positive difference to the quality of pupils’ education”.

Headteacher Alan Birchall said: “We are genuinely pleased with the outcome of the report.

“Despite the impact of Covid, we have managed to push forward with the challenge of offering students an engaging and enriching educational journey that prepares them for the rest of their lives. Our students and staff worked hard to showcase the strengths of our school during the recent inspection and I am delighted the inspectors could see for themselves, all our community has to offer.

“Byrchall is a very special school where every student belongs and it remains a privilege to lead it.”

The school was visited by four inspectors, who commented that pupils “gain the knowledge that they need to live safe and happy lives”.

“Staff provide many extra opportunities, including clubs and school trips, to enhance the curriculum,” the report continued. “Many pupils are keen to take advantage of these opportunities to learn more about the wider world.”

Within weeks of the end of the final lockdown, the school relaunched its extra-curricular offering and the diverse range of clubs and trips has continued since.

The inspectors spoke positively about life in the school community, explaining that pupils “behave well around the large school site” and that lessons “take place without disruption”.

Pupils told inspectors that “they feel safe at school” and that as part of the school curriculum they “learn how to keep safe when out in the wider community and online”.

The report is the latest good news for Byrchall High School, with “extremely positive GCSE results” in August 2022, according to the headteacher, and a planning application currently under consideration for a new and deluxe school building, as part of the Government’s £1 billion school rebuilding project.

The outcome of the application is due any time now.