Rachael Warwick, head of Didcot Girls’ School, explains how it achieved an outstanding Ofsted rating at the end of last year for the first time

It is a daily commitment to excellence over the last five years that has resulted in Ofsted’s endorsement of Didcot Girls’ School as an outstanding school.

We are all extremely proud.

In November, we were one of the first schools in the country to be evaluated as outstanding by Ofsted in its new and tough framework for inspection.

Words used frequently in the report include ‘ambition’, ‘aspiration’ and ‘leadership’.

This captures well the distinctive vision we have developed for excellence in all girls’ education at Didcot Girls’ School and echoes our mission statement.

What motivates the type of day-to-day excellent behaviour that has built the aspirational culture and supportive climate, which characterises Didcot Girls’ School?

As a community of staff and students, how do we garner the energy and commitment to be the best possible versions of ourselves every single day?

For staff, moral purpose goes a long way: the passionate belief that every young person deserves an exceptional education, regardless of ability or background.

Yet, what makes our jobs fun, rather than just morally righteous, is the dynamic of working with young people who are energetic, enthusiastic and inspiring – curious about life and willing to take risks along the way.

The strength of relationships between staff and students, who live the school’s values of inclusivity, excellence and respect on a daily basis, is what fuels the motivation and triggers the alchemy for our outstanding school.

Examination outcomes at Didcot Girls’ School have been superb for the last three years with the school positioned in the top 20 per cent in the country for both attainment and progress.

Whatever their starting points, students make superb progress.

We spend a lot of time debating, implementing and refining our teaching practice.

Students really enjoy learning at our school because they are inspired by professionals who are passionate, in equal measure, about their subject and working with young people.

“The other half” is what enriches the Didcot Girls’ School experience.

We understand that the best learning is rooted in real experiences and we dedicate a lot of time and resource to making exceptional opportunities available to our students.

Our annual trip to China takes place in April, a group of students travelled to Poland to visit Auschwitz at half-term and we have just hosted a visit from students from our partner school in Germany.

Students have world class opportunities to develop their interest in engineering and science through our close partnership with Harwell Science Park and Oxford University. More than 100 students were involved in the school’s superb dance show last month and the lower school production of Sweeney Todd in the summer was top notch.

The quality of the school’s provision and of our students’ talent is, rightly, being recognised at both county and national levels. So, where next?

Our next big idea is to develop a whole school focus on oracy.

We believe that being articulate is fundamental to success and so we plan to develop more opportunities for debating and public speaking both in and outside of lessons.

The house system provides a range of leadership opportunities for students and we encourage and reward participation in the life of the school through our leadership ladder.

We also intend to further develop our leadership provision with a regular programme of visitors to inspire our students.

We have been delighted to welcome Mishal Hussain, Lady Sylvia Jay, Jasmine Whitbread and Tim Gardam in recent months.

Our most able students are invited to join the Ulysses Group, which provides additional challenges and great links with Oxford University.

We are excited to talk to these students about how we can further develop opportunities for them both within and outside of school.

To sum up, what makes me most proud of Didcot Girls’ School takes me back to the importance of an ambitious culture and inclusive climate.