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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Regent School, Abuja, has been judged an outstanding school by a team of British Schools Overseas (BSO) inspectors commissioned by the UK Department for Education (DfE) in England to inspect and accredit British international schools outside of the UK, thus making the school the first and only school in Nigeria and West Africa with the BSO outstanding rating.
To be recognized by the UK Department for Education, a British school overseas must have an inspection report, which shows that their performance against all the BSO standards is at least satisfactory and reflects the minimum standards required for continued registration as a school in England.
Headmaster of the school, Mr. Joe Labuschagne, at an event in Abuja to celebrate the feat, said the remarkable accomplishment was as a result of the team work of his staff, as well as four years of planning and preparation, stressing that achieving a BSO outstanding rating was not an easy walk.
He said: “Following a successful BSO inspection, schools are allocated a unique reference number on the UK’s national school reference system, Edubase. Schools are judged against eight standards and other criteria as set by the UK government.
“We were adjudged outstanding in all standards after a rigorous inspection, which is the highest judgment that a school can attain. This is the first and only school in Nigeria and West Africa to achieve the outstanding school status, judged by BSO inspectors.
“We were rated outstanding in teaching and learning, innovative curriculum, visionary leadership and governance, standardized assessment, excellent child protection and safeguarding practices and top-end educational facilities.”
The proprietress, Mrs. Amsa AbdulRazaq, in her remarks, said, “We are extremely delighted that our objective of being a top class school has been achieved with a resounding confirmation by the UK Government through the Department for Education.”
The chief inspector, PENTA International, Dr. Mark Evans, in his report, described Regent School as a friendly and vibrant school that provides a very high standard of education and care, and has made excellent progress since the last BSO inspection.
“It was observed that the students attain high academic standards and have loads of fun as they learn. The teachers, too, clearly love being in their classrooms and there is much laughter to be heard.
“The students are safe and confident, and this allows them to learn fast. The standard of English writing and language is very high. Relationships between the school and parents are strong, and effectively inform school planning and further the welfare of the students.”
Head of Assessment and qualified BSO Inspector in the school, Mr. Akin Alufa, in his remarks, explained that schools that are judged outstanding might have met stringent criteria. “They must demonstrate through excellent practice across board that they can be relied upon to show examples within BSO communities, globally.”
