Failing academy’s now back on track
THE future looks bright for a Gateshead school, just months after it was slammed by Ofsted inspectors.
Thomas Hepburn Community Academy, in Felling, Gateshead, was rated ‘inadequate’ after an inspection last November, thanks to disruptive behaviour and a low standard of teaching.
But after a visit to monitor progress, inspectors found the academy transformed, and on-track to move out of the damning category.
According to head teacher Jo Nolan, appointed shortly before the damning report was published, and whose quick work already prevented the school from being pushed into special measures, pupils have quickly risen to increased expectations of them, and are starting to get the schooling they deserve.
She said: “Children have the right to come to a good school, and that’s what we want to achieve here.
“I am absolutely committed to creating a fantastic learning environment for them: that includes extracurricular activities, trips, adventures, pushing the boundaries and creating fantastic citizens for the future.
“All children should have the right to that, and we are going to create that for the children of Thomas Hepburn.”
In the monitoring inspection report, published in May, Ofsted experts praised Ms Nolan’s “skilful and determined leadership”, which they said was already paying dividends.
Inspectors noted that behaviour, which came in for criticism, had already improved “markedly”.
The report said: “Pupils are clear the school is now calm and more purposeful as a result of the consistent implementation of the new behaviour policy and tougher use of sanctions. “Pupils now consistently wear the school uniform and punctuality is improving.” The head spoke passionately about ‘raising aspirations’ and said much of the initial work focused on ensuring the children were ready for lessons, ‘retraining’ them to learn.
She said: “When I first came, children didn’t always have their bags, pencil cases, they didn’t wear the uniform. “Now they come in ready to learn. “We have helpful, engaging lessons which will allow our children to rapidly progress and compete with any others, no matter where they’re from.”
Ms Nolan insisted that while the first report’s criticisms were valid, they should not be taken as a reflection on the pupils, but on a system that was letting them down.
She said: “Our children here are absolutely fantastic. The judgement meant that these children were not getting the best education, which they deserve, but we are absolutely clear with our children it was never a judgement on them.”
Ms Nolan said the support of the Northern Education Trust, of which the academy is part, had helped provide the resources and outside expertise needed to make things better for Thomas Hepburn’s pupils.
But the school head recognises there is still much to do. This year’s results are still likely to be below expected standards, and absences are still too high in some pupils.
But she remains confident that within two years, Thomas Hepburn – which was rated ‘unsatisfactory’ in 2012 under the old system before it became an academy – will be classed as ‘good.’