A SCHOOL community is celebrating after winning high praise from inspectors.
Pupils, parents, staff and governors at Thorntree Academy, Middlesbrough, were left delighted after Ofsted inspectors awarded the school a ‘good’ rating across the board.
The quality of education, behaviour and attitudes of pupils, personal development, leadership and management were all said to be good following a two day inspection looking at all aspects of school life.
The Ofsted inspection is the first since the school became an academy and joined Extol Trust in March 2020, which is renowned for its outstanding teaching and professional development.
Headteacher Paul Watson said: “This is a real community school and the journey we have been on leaves me with an immense sense of pride. We have achieved good with support from Extol Trust, our governors and our hard working staff.
“We have endeavoured to open our doors to parents to foster an understanding of how education is important and to break down any barriers they may have had following their experiences of school. We are also proud to be above the national average for Year 6 outcomes which shows we are providing children with the best possible start to their secondary education.”
Extol Trust’s Chief Executive Officer Julie Deville added: “The Trust is absolutely delighted that the team of inspectors recognised all that is great at Thorntree Academy, a school that its community should be proud of. The judgements reflect the culmination of the vision, passion and commitment our partnership made to the community when the school joined us.
“I would personally extend my thanks to our colleagues at the school who have worked tirelessly and walked the school improvement journey with tenacity.”
Inspectors highlighted the schools strengths saying:
• Pupils at Thorntree are happy and safe. They embody the school values of ‘learn, thrive, and celebrate’
• Pupils appreciate the work that leaders do to promote high aspirations for later life through the school’s ‘Future You’ programme
• Pupils of all ages show respect to adults and each other. The positive relationships they establish with staff ensure that classrooms have a positive and purposeful atmosphere
• There are high expectations for behaviour and achievement. Staff give pupils the tools and support they need to meet these high expectations
• Pupils talk about their learning with enthusiasm and interest. Pupils’ positive attitudes towards one another ensure a calm and orderly environment in and around the school and poor behaviour is infrequent. If it does occur, well-trained staff deal with it appropriately.
Inspectors noticed that parents had positive attitudes towards the school and appreciated the way the leaders engaged with them.
They also praised that leaders had taken effective action to improve the curriculum for pupils which was ‘well sequenced’, met the needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
The report stated: “The school’s focus on early reading and phonics is clear. Staff deliver the school’s phonics programme with consistency and fidelity. Pupils develop confidence and fluency in their reading. Talented staff ask probing questions in reading sessions to test understanding.”
Inspectors highlighted that the school had significant strength in the way it raised pupils’ aspirations through the ‘Future You’ programme.
The initiative is designed to allow all pupils to understand more about careers and future employability, raising their aspirations.
Mr Watson said: “We strive to combine everything we do so pupils can be the best in the future and provide experiences so they can see beyond their educational offer.”
A Future You Festival will see them spend a week looking at careers. “Everything we do around our values allows us to build for the next stage of their lives,” he added. “We try to inspire them in their future careers. It is so important to give them aspirations and the tools to realise them.”
