Today we are celebrating after receiving a glowing report from school inspectors, Ofsted, who have praised the transformation of our school which was previously rated as ‘inadequate’.
Now graded as ‘good’ in all areas, inspectors found that our curriculum is ‘well designed and delivered effectively’ and commended us for giving our students an abundance of opportunities to ‘contribute to the life of the school’.
Since being sponsored by the North East Learning Trust (NELT) in September 2019, our school has undergone a programme of rapid improvements and inspectors observed that ‘the trust has supported the school in its curriculum design’ and that ‘leaders are ambitious that all pupils will be successful.’
Over the course of the two-day inspection, every aspect of school life was scrutinised and inspectors highlighted that our staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and have put a motivating rewards system in place. Our school was described as ‘calm and orderly’ and was praised for our effective personal development programme, which enables students to become well-rounded individuals. The report also applauded us for providing clear guidance to help our children, in both the main school and sixth form, ‘move on to positive destinations’.
Speaking of her delight at the judgement, Lindsay Maughan, our Head of School, said: “The children are at the heart of everything we do, and we are proud to be able to provide them with a fantastic education. They have adapted to the changes brilliantly and their enthusiasm and resilience have been second to none. We are also hugely grateful for the support that our parents/carers have given us during our journey, it has impacted our school greatly.
I must finally extend my thanks to every single member of staff who has worked so hard to implement the changes here at Hermitage Academy. I am incredibly proud of everyone and I look forward to what’s next for Hermitage Academy.”
Yvonne Weston, Executive Headteacher, added: “I am thrilled that Ofsted has recognised the rapid improvements that have taken place at Hermitage Academy. The grading has been raised by not one, but two whole grades, which is a fantastic achievement.”
Lesley Powell CBE, Chief Executive Officer of NELT, commented: “I am delighted with the outcome of the recent inspection. It is the result of a huge amount of work across all aspects of the school, from implementing a strong and rich curriculum to transforming the building to make it an inspiring place for students. I am pleased to read that the inspectors have given the school such high praise.”
Jim Blower, Chair of Governors, added: “I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the turnaround at Hermitage. Change doesn’t happen overnight and is a culmination of the hard work and dedication I have been witness to. The brilliant result is truly well deserved.”
Read a copy of the entire report below.