Ofsted inspectors have praised the steps a Congleton school has taken to make students feel 'happy and safe'.

Eaton Bank Academy is celebrating the results of its latest Ofsted inspection.

The report, published on Tuesday (April 1), rated the school as 'good' across each of the five key assessment areas.

Headteacher Edward O'Neill feels the positive judgement is testament to the dedication of the entire school community, from students and staff to parents and governors.

He said: "We are pleased that the report reflects the essence of the school and the high calibre education on offer at Eaton Bank Academy."

The inspection was carried out over February 25 and 26, led by His Majesty's Inspector Ben Hill.

Inspectors praised the 'high-quality' curriculum, support for pupils with special educational needs, behaviour of students, and the school's commitment to tackling bullying.

Eaton Bank Academy, off Jackson Road (Credit: Eaton Bank Academy)

The report reads: "Most pupils at Eaton Bank Academy benefit from a high-quality education. They rise to the school's high expectations for their achievement, proudly demonstrating the school's values of ambition and optimism.

"Pupils treat each other kindly. They interact politely with staff. This positive behaviour reflects the respectful culture in the school.

"Pupils' successes, such as their accomplishments in sport and the arts, are widely celebrated.

"Pupils know how to seek help if they are worried about anything. This helps them to feel happy and safe at school.

"When pupils report bullying, the school deals with it effectively so that it rarely recurs."

The report also praised the work of the Halliard Trust, of which Eaton Bank is a part of.

It notes that the trust has helped the school to improve attendance figures 'sharply' whilst 'raising the aspirations for what pupils can achieve'.

CEO of Halliard Trust, Jeremy Spencer, said: "We are proud to have Eaton Bank as a member of our trust.

"This is an excellent report and the Ofsted grades match exactly to the views of school leaders and the trust's School Improvement Team.

"Eaton Bank has a superb team, including some highly experienced leaders. It is wonderful to see the hard work of every member of staff, combined with excellent support from our trust's central team, pay off!"

The report says that most pupils benefit from a 'high-quality education' (Credit: Eaton Bank Academy)

The report does note a few ways that Eaton Bank could improve.

For example, it states that some disadvantaged pupils have had irregular attendance, which over time has created gaps in their knowledge.

"The school should boost its efforts to help these pupils to attend school more often. It should also ensure that staff use effective strategies to address these pupils' missed learning," the report adds.

Furthermore, in a few subjects, teachers do not make 'effective use' of the school's chosen assessment strategies to identify pupils' misconceptions, meaning some pupils do not learn the curriculum as securely as they could.

As such, the school should work to ensure staff are fully equipped to identify and remedy pupils' misconceptions.

A spokesperson for the school said: "Eaton Bank Academy in Jackson Road, Congleton, remains committed to continuous improvement.

"The school will continue to refine its strategies for attendance and further enhance its personal development programme to ensure that all students feel supported and confident in their learning environment."