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PROGRESS: Harper Bell Seventh Day Adventist pupils with head teacher Jennie Clarke

A BIRMINGHAM faith school has emerged from special measures and appears now to be on the road to success after getting a ‘good’ rating from Ofsted inspectors.

The Ofsted inspectors announced that Harper Bell Seventh Day Adventist School now have collectively ‘revitalised provision and rekindled their pupils’ sense of pride in their school.’

And no one is more pleased than the leadership team, which includes a National Leader of Education and an Interim Executive Board (IEB) appointed a year ago to turn the school around.

The voluntary-aided primary school’s renaissance has happened at a time when schools in Birmingham have been under huge scrutiny from the Government and the local communities they serve.

RENAISSANCE

But Rosemary Campbell-Stephens, the IEB chair, said: “The time is right for a renaissance in Birmingham schools and we at Harper Bell are ready to play our part.

“We proudly face those communities who have contributed to building this great city and state unequivocally that together we will provide their children and grandchildren with their entitlement; an exceptional educational experience. Our aspirations for this historically important school are limitless.”

Harper Bell School, named after American-born Goodloe Harper Bell, the founder of the Seventh Day Adventist school system, is the only one of its kind in Birmingham and one of only a handful in the UK.

The school’s operational head Jennie Clarke, who has held three previous headships in the city, told The Voice: “I’m extremely happy that through hard work from parents, children and the interim executive board, we have started to climb the mountain to the peak of success.”

The upbeat vibe is palpable on entering the school, which is reflected on the smiling faces of its 200 pupils. Adriel Walker, aged nine, said: “Learning is fun here and we like to learn about God.”

Six-year-old Lejae Fyfield said: “Our teachers are very kind and we have lots of things to help us learn.”

And Afruika Ukaidi, aged eight, added: “I think we’ve got outstanding teachers because they are helping us to enjoy working hard.”

REPORT

With leadership graded as ‘good’, the report states the school ‘requires improvement’ overall, but this is being tackled head-on with expert help.

The school is being supported by three of the best teachers in the profession who are all of African Caribbean heritage including Ava Sturridge-Packer, a National Leader in Education, who is head of St Mary’s C of E Primary Academy.

It has also been supported by Paulette Osborne, head of St Matthew’s C of E Primary School in Nechells, and her deputy Sonia Thompson, who have just celebrated the fantastic news that their school has been rated ‘outstanding’ in its latest Ofsted report.

In less than 12 months this team of passionate experts has helped to turn around Harper Bell.
The school has recently received confirmation of its long-awaited Academy Order from the Secretary of State for Education and will become an academy later this year, supported and sponsored by the Diocese of Birmingham.

The school is now actively seeking committed governors and key members of staff to join its current team to build on the strong foundation laid over the last two years.

Pastor Lorance Johnson, president of the North England Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, said: “I remain profoundly impressed with the international focus of all concerned to ensure that teaching, learning and governance reflects the school’s motto ‘a more excellent way.’

“As its leadership and teaching staff have clearly demonstrated that it will not settle for average, Harper Bell has to be the school of choice. I thank God for the success achieved and I am confident that the designation ‘requires improvement’ will in the future have a new designation: ‘outstanding.’”

For more info visit: www.hbsda.bham.sch.uk