School celebrates being rated ‘good’ after years of being ‘inadequate’

Spalding Academy is celebrating after being rated ‘good’ in its latest ‘Ofsted’.

The school had been rated ‘inadequate’ for a third time in three years at its last inspection in 2016.

The most recent inspection carried out on June 4 and 5 ranked the school ‘good’ in all categories and is the first since the former Sir John Gleed School was taken over by the South Lincolnshire Academies Trust.

It comes hot on the heels of the school being nominated for an Education Business Award in the category of Outstanding Progress for a Secondary School.

The Ofsted report says: “The executive headteacher and the leadership team have acted with determination to improve the quality of education that the school provides. Leaders have a well- informed and accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and use this knowledge to guide their plans for improvement.”

Executive head Lucy Conley, said: “The South Lincolnshire Academies Trust has been responsible for leading Spalding Academy since September 2016 and during this time there has been a great deal of work put in by the senior leadership team and staff in the school and across the Trust in order to improve the education for our young
people.

“The Trust governance is strong and inspectors recognise that our Trustees are knowledgeable and dedicated, bringing a good balance of support and challenge.

“It is recognised that Spalding Academy has benefitted by working as part of the South Lincolnshire Academies Trust and the Good outcome for Spalding Academy is a tremendous achievement that the whole school community truly deserves.

“This report is fantastic news for the Spalding community and brings the official recognition that there is now a good non-selective school option for parents in the town.

“I would like to congratulate all of our pupils for the way in which they conducted themselves during the Inspection.

“The inspectors experienced first-hand pupils’ good behaviour, which has been highlighted as a ‘strength of the school’, the fact they are polite and welcoming and the pride they take in their school.

“This is something we are very proud of. I would like to also thank parents, for their continued support and contribution to the school and throughout the Inspection process.

“I am now very excited for the opportunity to continue to lead Spalding Academy as we aspire to be Outstanding.

“We are very pleased that the Inspection team recognised that poor behaviour, including bullying, in the school is rare and that any poor behaviour is dealt with very effectively, there is a culture of strong highly visible pastoral support staff presence around school, with pupils knowing who to go to if they have concerns or worries.

“We know our pupils enjoy their learning and this has been witnessed by the inspectors, also that pupil high standards of behaviour supports learning. Inspectors make reference to pupils’ behaviour being a strength of the school, that pupils are polite and display good attitudes to learning.

“Pupils are supported with the good extra-curricular offering, providing an enriched pupil experience, which reflects the school’s ethos and motto of Aspire, Challenge, Achieve.”

Mr Will Hawkins (Chair of Governors) congratulated Mrs Conley, her senior team and all staff and students at the school. “This recognition from Ofsted is well deserved. Mrs Lucy Conley has shown great leadership qualities in securing this positive outcome and all staff, pupils, parents and governors can be rightly proud of Spalding Academy.’