BIRMINGHAM, UK—Nishkam High School, a new Sikh-ethos school in Birmingham, has been rated outstanding by Ofsted inspectors.
The school, which was built through the collective efforts of Sikh community volunteers, opened in HOCKLEY (UK) in September of 2012. It is described as a “Sikh-ethos, multi-faith school,” positively nurturing pupils of all faith backgrounds and encouraging excellence through the core, universal Sikh principles.
The free school, run by the Nishkam School Trust, is driven by the principle of being “nishkam” developing a mind-set to serve others without the expectation for rewards or recognition. Through the development of an all-rounded character, Nishkam aims to produce lifelong learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, and compassionate contributors to society.
Pupil achievement, quality of teaching, pupil behavior and safety, and leadership and management have all been graded as exceptional by Ofsted.
Executive principal, Terry Green, said:
This represents a tremendous achievement by the whole community which helped to build and partially fund the construction of the school.
Our “outstanding” judgement is not just based on a two-day visit by inspectors.
It is as a result of many years of tremendous effort by our students, staff, governors, parents and community.
I congratulate and thank everyone for creating an exceptional and very special multi-faith inspired school open to all.
Ofsted inspectors found students made rapid and sustained progress across subjects and achieved well. Student behavior was also reported as exceptional.
Teachers were said to have had good subject knowledge and had high expectations of their student’s achievements.
Free schools are independently run but receive state funding. While teaching unions are opposed to them and claim they are unaccountable to communities, others, such as Education Secretary Michael Gove, claim that: “Free schools are giving thousands of children from ordinary backgrounds the kind of education previously reserved for the rich and the lucky.”
