The school in Hope, in the heart of the Peak District, has come a long way since its last inspection in 2018. In 2019, Hope Valley joined Chorus Education Trust and recruited Principal, Gaynor Jones.

On their visit in October, Ofsted inspectors noted the school’s supportive environment and high expectations for its students’ achievements and behaviour. Hope Valley’s clear system for dealing with behaviour issues means that students feel that “teachers are fair and consistent”.

Hope Valley teachers deliver an “ambitious curriculum” and they do it well. They help students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to access the curriculum, so they feel supported. A range of well-planned personal development opportunities complement the curriculum and mean that Hope Valley students are “well prepared for the next stage of their education”.

Hope Valley Pathways, the school’s specialist post-16 SEND provision, receives another ‘Good’ rating. The dedicated unit, which successfully prepares young adults with SEND for life and work, is described by students as being like “one big family”.

Gaynor Jones, Principal at Hope Valley College said: “We are delighted that our journey since the last inspection has resulted in the recognition that Hope Valley College is a ’Good’ school. We believe that Hope Valley offers something different: we are small enough to enable the positive relationships between staff and students that were noticed by Ofsted, yet our high expectations, clear approaches and ambitious curriculum enable our students to progress to the next stage of their education. We see evidence of this when around 93% of our Year 11 students annually gain places at highly regarded sixth forms and colleges.

“I am so proud of the students, staff, parents and carers, governors and the Chorus Trust family. Together we have established an educational force to be reckoned with, serving young people from Derbyshire as well as those who travel from as far as Sheffield and Greater Manchester to experience the Hope Valley difference.”