Stories by Felix Khanoba
The Regent School has been adjudged 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 United Kingdom.
To be recognised by the UK Department for Education (DfE), a British school overseas (BSO) must have an inspection report which shows that their performance against all the BSO standards is at least satisfactory. This reflects the standards required for continuing registration as a school in England.
The AUTHORITY gathered that following a successful BSO inspection, schools will be allocated a unique reference number on the UK’s national school reference system, Edubase.
Schools are judged against eight (8) standards and are rated on the following continuum:
Grade 1: Outstanding
Grade 2: Good
Grade 3: Satisfactory
Grade 4: Inadequate
The BSO standards are:
Standard 1: Quality of education provided
Standard 2: Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils
Standard 3: Welfare, health and safety of pupils
Standard 4: Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors
Standard 5: Premises of and accommodation of the school
Standard 6: Provision of information to parents
Standard 7: Manner in which complaints and grievances are handled
Standard 8: Quality of leadership and management of the school
The Regent School was adjudged outstanding in all categories after a rigorous inspection, which is the highest judgement 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 British Schools Overseas inspectors.
The school was rated outstanding for offering excellent quality of teaching and learning, innovative curriculum, visionary leadership and governance, standardised assessment, excellent child protection and safeguarding practices and top-end educational facilities.
The AUTHORITY reports that the Regent Primary School, Abuja was founded in the Year 2000 in order to provide a British-style education of high quality to Nigerian children, and to the children of expatriates living and working in the growing city of Abuja.
The school has since developed into a friendly and thriving day school offering a broad and balanced education for boys and girls aged 2 – 18. The school is now very popular in Nigeria and has an excellent reputation in the locality. It has grown rapidly and there are now over 500 pupils on our roll in the Early Years and Primary School alone.
Speaking at an event organised on Monday 3rd July, 2023 to celebrate the achievement in the school, the Headmaster, Mr Joe Labuschagne, said that the remarkable accomplishment was as a result of the team work of his staff as well as four years of planning and preparation. According to him, achieving a BSO outstanding rating was by no means an easy walk.
The event was attended by staff and parents of the school as well members of the diplomatic community. In a symbolic gesture, the Headmaster presented the Proprietress, Mrs. Amsa AbdulRazaq, a plaque as a memorabilia representing the inspection report.
The Propreitress, 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 (DfE).”
On his part, the Chief Inspector, PENTA International, Dr. Mark Evans, said this : “The Regent Primary School is a friendly and vibrant school that provides a very high standard of education and care. It has made excellent progress since the last BSO inspection. The students attain high academic standards and have loads of fun as they learn. The teachers, too, clearly love being with their classes and there is much laughter to be heard. The students are safe and confident; 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.”
Explaining the achievement, the Head of Assessment and qualified BSO Inspector in the school, Mr. Akin Alufa, expressed delight over the school’s outstanding rating.
He said that schools that are judged outstanding have stringent criteria to meet. They must cross all t’s and dot all the I’s in all ramifications. They must also demonstrate through excellent practice across board that they can be relied upon to show glowing examples within COBIS and BSO communities globally.
The Regent School, is now the first and only school in Nigeria and West Africa with the BSO outstanding rating.
