In November 2006 Brooke Weston was visited by a team of Ofsted inspectors. The inspection looked at five areas of school life: overall effectiveness, achievements and standards, personal development and well-being, quality of provision, and leadership and management.

All five areas were rated Outstanding, and the College has since received a letter from Ofsted to say that it is on the Outstanding Providers list: a superb achievement.

Ofsted also recognised the role of Governors in contributing to this outcome, so I must acknowledge the fine work and dedication of my fellow-Governors as well as their support to me as Chairman.

Examination results have continued to give cause for satisfaction. The detail of these results appears on a later page, but a brief summary gives the flavour.

Our Key Stage 3 students take their SATs exams a year early under the new Brooke Weston curriculum arrangements. The results showed the smallest of dips in English and Mathematics, but Science performed as well as last year. This level of achievement is good in its own right, and frees up a whole College year in which Brooke Weston youngsters can undertake exciting additional studies at a time when, research shows, young people at KS3 nationally are becoming bored and disaffected with this curriculum phase.

Results at GCSE in July 2007 were outstanding: 100% of students were graded A*– C in five or more subjects. In Design Technology 51% of all grades were at A*/A. A few areas did not live up to the trend but the reasons for this are being addressed.

In Year 12, 37% of students were graded at A or B in their AS levels exams, 4% up on the previous year. In Year 13, at A2 level, the number of A and B grades was slightly down (from 48% to 44%) but the 'average points score' increased from 295 to 302.

An excellent 80% of A Level students achieved places at their first choice university; and four students attained places at either Oxford or Cambridge universities. All students who chose this route were successful in finding places in Higher Education.

Plans for the future for the Post 16 group include a broadening of the range of vocational options for students so that similar high standards can be achieved by those whose strengths are less academic.

Brooke Weston began life as a City Technology College. The CTC movement produced some fine schools. But current political thinking is to change the secondary school system to establish Academies – schools which have good levels of financial support but which operate under slightly different rules. They are typically in areas of deprivation and are intended to make a significant difference to their local communities.

Brooke Weston was invited to transfer to Academy status and, not least for financial reasons, opted to follow that route. The final stage of transition will take place from September 2008. Increased capital grant will allow for significant modernisation of the plant at Brooke Weston – more of that next year.

No-one could claim that the Brooke Weston curriculum is dull. Learning opportunities beyond the classroom have seen students visiting the National Space Centre and presenting a report about the visit to Governors (a daunting task!). Other visits in the UK included trips to Snowdonia and Tate Modern. There was the launch (if you'll excuse the pun) of the Glider Club and a presentation at the Showcase Science event at Oundle School.

Beyond these shores there was work experience in Europe for Year 12 students. Five hundred students took part in residential experiences and visited places as far apart as New York, Venice and the Costa Brava. These activities strengthen bonds between students as well as between students and staff; they contribute enormously to students' maturity and thus their ability to compete, for example in interviews.

There were some significant movements during the period of this Report, notably Gerry Witt's decision to stand down as Head of Sixth Form. His work in this role has been much appreciated, but he stays with the College which thus keeps his wisdom and expertise.

Most important of all the changes was the decision that Peter Simpson should move from the headship of Brooke Weston to have oversight of the new Brooke Weston Partnership. His new appointment as Executive Principal is an innovative one, so once more Brooke Weston leads the national agenda for educational change.

Following this move the Governors sought to appoint a new Principal for the Brooke Weston College, and Trish Stringer was successful in obtaining this post. She will carry forward her commitment to the high standards of her predecessor but also seek to lead the College in the new Partnership context.

Brooke Weston's Vice-Principal, Dr Andrew Campbell, who has already devoted several years to establishing the Corby Business Academy, was appointed Principal Designate to that new institution. Exciting, and changing times indeed!

Brooke Weston's own trading company @tain continued to thrive. As a result it was able to plough profits back into the College. Business Manager Chris Stewart has kept the money flowing and, as a result, £100,000 will support the refurbishment of the Design Technology Department.

The College has remained a focus for innovation, providing both leading speakers at national events and a place for visitors to come to view excellence at work.

China formed one of the bases for international activity over the last year or so. Martin Wang was appointed to teach Mandarin and Peter Simpson and Robert Nicholls represented the College on a trip to China which began a formal partnership with the Haichang Middle School in Xiamen which is affiliated to the University of Beijing.

As a result, a group of Brooke Weston students had the opportunity to visit China. Others have been in touch with schools in France, Germany, Malawi and Senegal via the Global Gateway web-site run by the British Council.

Students and staff have been active in charitable work for overseas projects, too. £10,000 has been raised for Project Sri Lanka and for Oxfam's work in Tanzania and Africa. Strong links continue with the June and Brian Cox Foundation Primary School in the Gambia.