Good with outstanding leadership!

Newark Academy judged 'Good' by Ofsted (Whole School - 01/10/2019)

Newark Academy is delighted to announce that following a recent Ofsted inspection at the end of the summer term, the academy has been rated as ‘Good’ with ‘Outstanding leadership and management’.

Prior to joining the Nova Education trust in October 2016, the academy had experienced a period of significant turmoil, culminating in Ofsted judging it as ‘Inadequate’ in all areas in June 2016, four weeks after the appointment of Andy Seymour as Head Teacher.

Since his appointment, Mr Seymour, together with a team of talented and committed leaders and colleagues, have worked tirelessly to provide the high-quality provision and experience that provides all children with a great local education. This was recognised by the inspection team who stated, “in under three years, leaders have transformed the school.”

The effectiveness of ‘leadership and management’ was judged to be outstanding because leaders and governors “have established a school where only the highest expectations of staff and students will do. Because of this, teaching, behaviour and achievement have improved considerably. Leadership and management as a result, is outstanding.”

This Ofsted judgement celebrates the exceptional progress that the academy has made in such a short space of time and recognises the renewed confidence of parents and carers and the wider community. The inspection team rightly identified the academy as a place where “ambition thrives” and “through painstaking work, leaders have regained the community’s trust. The school is oversubscribed, and the roll is rising quickly.” This is testament to the exceptional hard work, determination and dedication of staff, students and governors but also the continued and unrelenting support of parents, carers and wider stakeholders.

“The Head Teacher is very committed to continually raising pupils’ achievement and all school leaders share his vision of a high achieving school.”

They also highlighted the strong approach to teaching throughout the academy, noting, “Teaching, learning and assessment have improved markedly. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are high.”

The inspection team also commented on the considerable response from parents and carers stating, “the overwhelming majority of parents and carers are positive about the quality of teaching at the school. Most responses to the questionnaire completed during the inspection showed that parents and carers feel well informed about their child’s progress.”

They also noted children’s positive behaviour and attitudes to learning…

“The behaviour of pupils is good. There is a pleasant atmosphere at the school. Pupils conduct themselves well around the school site. Inspectors saw no disruptive behaviour of any kind in lessons and pupils had consistently good attitudes to learning.”

In the report, the Ofsted team also recognised the role of the Nova Education Trust in providing ‘exceptional challenge and support’ and cited leadership at all levels as ‘strong’.

“The trust has equipped school leaders with the skills and confidence they needed to do their jobs effectively and has brought the school into a vibrant learning community.”

In response to the inspection, Head Teacher Andy Seymour observed:

“We are delighted to have received an Ofsted report which clearly recognises our passion, care and commitment in providing our community with a great local school where our pupils are cared for and supported in a way that helps them to be the very best they can be.

We are thrilled to see that the inspection team recognised the transformation of our academy and the exceptional progress made in such a short space of time. The unrelenting dedication and effort my staff have shown over the last two years has transformed the school into one that the town can justifiably be very proud of.”

He added:

“Staff, governors, children and their families have worked hard to make sure that Newark Academy is a place where high quality education and care are things everyone can expect, and I am proud to have led the academy to such a strong position.”

Chair of the Local Governing Body, Elaine Rossall, commented:

“This is excellent news for Newark Academy and the town. It reflects the hard work of the Head Teacher, staff and governors in securing a great local school for our community. We are delighted with the outcome and look forward to continuing to provide a great education for our pupils for years to come.

It is hugely satisfying to see the inspection team recognise the excellent education that Newark Academy pupils receive, and we are confident that this provides us with a solid platform for further improvements for the future.”

Ash Rahman, Vice CEO/Senior Executive Head Teacher, added:

“I am delighted this Ofsted report reflects Newark Academy’s transformation into a beacon of excellence. Myself and the Directors of the Nova Education Trust are immensely proud of the whole school community.

School leaders have been judged as ‘Outstanding’—they are relentless in their pursuit of excellence for all pupils and I have no doubt that Newark Academy will be judged as ‘Outstanding’ at the next inspection. Congratulations to all connected with the school.”