Celebrations for the whole school at Frank Barnes 

A SCHOOL in King’s Cross is celebrating its fourth “Outstanding” inspection score in a row.

Frank Barnes School for deaf children was given the top score by Ofsted after a visit in May. It matched the same exemplary report from inspections in 2009, 2012 and 2017. Inspectors said the school was “inspiring pupils to believe they can do anything” and become “proud of their deaf identity and culture”, promoting a sense of belonging and considering “their place in the world” as part of their personal development.

The school was formerly based in Swiss Cottage but moved into new premises on the railwaylands regeneration site in the Plimsoll Building in Wollstonecraft Street in 2015. The latest Ofsted verdict said the school was a “beacon of bilingualism”, where the teaching of British Sign Language (BSL) and English are taught to a high standard and where leaders ensure that staff are qualified and well trained in both languages to enable pupils to access the curriculum.

Dani Sive, who has been the headteacher since 2016, said: “I am very pleased and proud that we have achieved this result after many years of incredibly hard work, especially through the pandemic, to ensure standards of teaching and learning remain high. The staff, pupils, parents and governors have given so much support to the school, so it is no surprise that our commitment and dedication to bilingual practice in deaf education is the reason that our pupils achieve so well, academically, linguistically, socially and emotionally.”

Robert Adam, chair of governors, added: “This achievement is a testament to the collective efforts and dedication of our entire school community. It takes a village to nurture our pupils.”