Schools go from worst to among best in 10 years

Low Hill Nursery head Natalie Showell said it had gone from "strength to strength"

Schools in Wolverhampton have been rated among the best in the country, 10 years after Ofsted chiefs said they were the worst.

Nine out of 10 schools have been rated "good" or "outstanding" by Government inspectors.

The 20% increase in a decade means city schools are performing above the regional and national average.

Jacqui Coogan, the council's education chief, said it was down to the "hard work of leaders, teachers, governors, pupils and parents".

Beacon of hope

In 2013, regional director for Ofsted Lorna Fitzjohn said schools in Wolverhampton were "not improving as rapidly as other schools nationally", with 44% of pupils attending schools below a "good" standard.

Council chief executive at the time, Simon Warren, said it was "unacceptable" and the authority began working with schools, governors and inspectors.

A decade on, the situation could not be more different.

Low Hill Nursery School has held on to its outstanding rating for over 10 years.

It has been a beacon of hope for families enrolling their children there on the inner city estate.

Low Hill Nursery children enjoy reading time

Headteacher Natalie Showell said supporting families had been the key to their success.

"We believe parents are a child's first educator," she said.

They offer workshops, a childcare course for parents to take and employ an "open door policy" so parents and carers can speak to the school about any issues they might be facing.

"I don't want to say that this is a challenging community, rather a community that's challenged," she added.

The governors work closely with the leadership team at the nursery and said the relationship helped to keep standards and aspirations high.

Governor Carol Ferron-Smith said they were "clear" about their vision and aims, helping to "embed the vision for the school".

Sandip Kaur said Low Hill Nursery gave structure and routine to her daughter's life

Sandip Kaur, whose two-year-old daughter attends Low Hill, said her child loved coming every day.

"She forgets to say goodbye sometimes she's so excited to be here," she said.

Ms Kaur praised the nursery's support system that "helps parents if they're worried about anything".

"Kids need support and so do parents," she added.

The nursery offers wellbeing support for families such as weekly counselling and therapy sessions as well as a food bank.

Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School educate children aged three to 11

Corpus Christi Primary School Academy in Ashmore Park was recently rated good by Ofsted after being placed in special measures in 2018 and told it required improvement a year later.

Principal Julie Wardle said the five-year journey in a "complex" city like Wolverhampton had not been easy.

She said they had tackled issues with attendance and lack of engagement from parents, "raising expectations for students and parents" alike.

Laeticia, nine, said she enjoyed going to school as they made learning dynamic and engaging.

"When we're learning we don't just learn by writing, we do activities," she said.

"We're a good school. We needed some improvement and we got it."