HUGE IMPROVEMENTS AT DENTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Staff and students at Denton Community College are celebrating a remarkable double success this week. Newly validated national data has confirmed that the school is one of the most improved in England for the percentage of students achieving a strong pass in GCSE English and Maths. Denton was already confirmed as the most improved school in Tameside on several measures.
Analysis of data from almost 3,000 secondary schools revealed that Denton made an extraordinary leap in just one year, with only a handful of schools nationwide showing comparable progress. Alongside this achievement, the school’s Progress 8 score—the government’s measure of progress across all qualifications—improved by an impressive +0.41, demonstrating that the school’s success extends far beyond English and Maths.
Adding to this celebration, Denton Community College recently received a visit from Ofsted, which delivered some excellent feedback in its official letter. The inspectors highlighted the school’s substantial progress in culture, ethos, and behavior, stating:
On culture and ethos:
“The school’s work to shift the culture has borne fruit. Pupils’ consideration for others has improved. The ‘praise culture’ allows pupils’ achievements to be celebrated. For example, many pupils are eager to show their work at ‘Proud Tuesday.’ Pupils spoke empathetically about the culture day organized to celebrate pupils’ different heritages.”
On safety and behavior:
“Pupils and staff feel safe in the school. The school has successfully dealt with pupils’ use of discriminatory language. Behavior in lessons and around the school at social times has vastly improved. Classrooms are calm and purposeful.”
On curriculum and teaching:
“The school has ensured that the curriculum is broad and ambitious and clearly sets out the key knowledge pupils need to learn. Classroom routines are consistently well embedded. These have helped to cultivate a positive environment for learning, and pupils respond well to them.”
The report also praised the transformative role of Northern Education Trust (NET), which Denton Community College is set to join formally:
“Leaders acknowledge that much of the change in the school has been accelerated by the external support provided by the trust. The trust has equipped the school with processes, policies, and a well-thought-out curriculum. The school is heavily supported by personnel from the trust based on-site, which has strengthened leadership capacity. Staff, parents, and pupils attribute the positive changes to this support.”
Principal Donald Cumming expressed his pride in the school’s achievements:
“We’re over the moon with these results and the fantastic feedback from Ofsted. Our amazing staff and students truly deserve this recognition, and the community of Denton deserves a school it can be proud of. We look forward to continuing our improvement journey with NET.”
Dean Buckley, an Executive Principal from Northern Education Trust who oversees Denton, added:
“Denton Community College is becoming the place to be! The recent GCSE results and positive Ofsted feedback are a testament to the hard work of staff and students. We’ve also benefited greatly from the unwavering support of our parents. The NET ‘NORTHERN’ model of school improvement, devised by our CEO Rob Tarn, CBE, really works. The transformation at Denton in just one year is remarkable, and we couldn’t be prouder.”
This success marks an exciting new chapter for Denton Community College as it continues its journey of rapid improvement, aiming to provide outstanding education and opportunities for all its students.