Neale Wade Academy has been given a good rating by Ofsted inspectors nearly two years after they were told they needed to improve.
The academy was told in February 2015 that leadership, management and sixth form were ‘good’ but all other aspects of the setting’s required improvement.
Now, however, the academy has been told it has shown “significant improvement”
Principal Jason Wing said: “We have always believed that Neale Wade Academy could be a good school and now we strive for outstanding status as we work to make further improvements.
“This report reflects the relentless approach that the school has taken to improve the outcomes for young people in March and the surrounding villages.
“Students and staff have worked tirelessly to achieve very strong exam results. Parents have been supportive of the actions that we have taken to improve the school over a number of years.
“This outcome for Art is especially pleasing as OFSTED had highlighted this as an area for particular improvement at the Academy.”
The inspectorate praised strong leadership, widespread pastoral care and student support and good teaching amongst many other qualities in their report.
It was noted that all pupils make good progress at Neale Wade, but that pupils from a disadvantaged background made ‘similar or sometimes better progress than their peers nationally.’
Parental support was recognised as a major strength of the school in its journey from ‘requiring improvement’ in the last OFSTED inspection in February 2015, to ‘good’ in this recent visit.
Gary Peile, chief executive of the Active Learning Trust said: “On behalf of the whole Trust, I want to congratulate Jason Wing, the staff, pupils, parents and governors at Neale Wade for this exceptional report.
“It has been a real privilege for me and other colleagues to have worked with the Academy.
“We are proud that we were chosen as sponsor and are delighted that the Inspector was able to highlight the difference that the Trust made to developments at Neale Wade.
“We look forward to supporting Jason and his team on Neale Wade’s journey to outstanding.”
In addition to this excellent Ofsted report the Academy also received news that GCSE equivalent results in Art were finally assessed as 86 per cent.
The Neale Wade Academy was the first school to join the Active Learning Trust in 2013.
The Trust now sponsors six schools in Cambridgeshire, and will be opening a further two schools in Littleport in September 2017 as well as a new primary school for Chatteris.
The Trust also sponsors schools in Suffolk and seeks to share their good practice across all schools it leads.
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