This has been a truly exhausting week at Moor Park. As the rain bucketed onto the yard on Tuesday morning, I was given the dreaded Ofsted call. This is the moment in a headteacher’s life that we fear the most; it haunts our nightmares, like Jacob Marley with a ball point pen and a clipboard. That this inspection should come so soon into the year and so soon after the fabric of our lives fissured under the weight of a pandemic and extended lockdowns, only further contributed to that feeling of dread.

I of course had no reason to be worried, we performed superbly and whilst I can’t share the judgement with you all yet, it is safe to say that the outcome will show real improvement since our last inspection in 2018.

To improve a school you need two things: you need a group of staff more concerned about young people than themselves and a community of children ready to learn and improve. I am proud to say that at Moor Park we have both these key elements. There will still be points for improvement and hard work will lie ahead, however, we will all be proud when we see the report, understand the circumstances that we have all been working in for 19 months and celebrate our fabulous school. Thanks to you all, I remain prouder than ever to be Moor Park.