Whitehaven Academy rated 'good' in all areas by Ofsted

Ofsted’s report today says that The Whitehaven Academy is Good in all areas. It is the first time that the secondary school has been inspected since it joined Cumbria Education Trust (CET) in late 2018.

It is a far cry from just a few years ago when it fell into Special Measures under the leadership of another academy trust, Bright Tribe, which has since been investigated by the Government.

Bright Tribe was widely criticised for allowing the school to become so weak and its buildings to fall into disrepair. The school suffered from:

·       A bad reputation locally, with very few parents making it the first choice they wanted their child to attend when leaving primary school

·       GCSE results which were in the bottom 2% of all schools in England for the previous three years in a row

·       High staff turnover

·       A lack of middle leaders

·       Poor student behaviour and high numbers of exclusions

·       An unviable sixth form due to low student numbers

·       Buildings so bad they were featured in a BBC Panorama documentary

·       A curriculum that was not fit for purpose, with students unable to study what was right for them

But today’s Ofsted report says that The Whitehaven Academy is transformed under Cumbria Education Trust, including moving last year into £15m new buildings. In a report full of highlights, Ofsted says:

·       “Leaders, including those at the trust, have placed The Whitehaven Academy at the heart of the local community”

·       “Pupils are kind and considerate towards each other. They respond well to the high expectations that leaders have of their behaviour and conduct”

·       “Historically, outcomes at the school have not been strong. However, leaders have taken the necessary steps so that most pupils now achieve well”

·       “Most pupils, including those in the sixth form, are well prepared for the next phase of their education. At Key Stage 4 [ages 14 to 16], leaders have increased the number of pupils that follow the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects”

·       “Leaders have established an ambitious suite of subject curriculums”

·       “Most teachers use their strong subject knowledge effectively to make regular checks on what pupils know and remember”

·       “Leaders have prioritised reading. They accurately identify the needs of less confident readers as soon as they join the school”

·       “Leaders ensure that pupils read a broad range of fiction texts”

·       “Leaders identify the additional needs of pupils effectively, including those with special educational needs”

·       “Teachers deal effectively with any incidents of low-level disruption that may occur”

·       “Pupils are punctual to lessons and most pupils attend regularly”

·       “Students in the sixth form benefit from the courses available to them and the close links that leaders have made with the partner sixth form centre”

Nigel Youngman, heateacher of The Whitehaven Academy, said the school was now an academy of choice for parents.

The number of parents selecting it as first choice for their child on leaving primary school has increased from 60 to 180 since the transfer to Cumbria Education Trust. 

The Whitehaven Academy has received a glowing Ofsted report (Image: The Whitehaven Academy)

This has led to a 64 per cent increase in the size of the Year 7 intake since CET took over the school. The school has also, in a joint venture with The Workington Academy, also part of CET, established the new West Coast Sixth Form, providing post-16 students with a great curriculum offer and outcomes.

Mr Youngman added: “We have wonderfully supportive parents who simply want the best for their children. It’s vital we match their high expectations and I am lucky to have a brilliant staff team who do exactly that, and we invest in them.

“We now have a strong and innovative curriculum that is helping students progress to their next step. We have bucked the national trend of declining standards of attendance, with attendance now above the national average for the first time.

"And results are on the up, with levels of progress rising by around half a grade per subject since 2019. The percentage of students achieving a Grade 5 in maths and English has almost trebled. There is still more to do – but we will keep on getting better and better. This is just the start.”

Lorrayne Hughes, Chief Executive of Cumbria Education Trust, said the transformation had been driven by an experienced, stable and committed leadership team; and by the recruitment of strong middle leaders and excellent teachers, including specialist teachers in all subject areas.

She said there is now low staff turnover thanks to strong training and development opportunities for all staff.

Ms Hughes added: “The basics that ensure the smooth running of a school were simply not in place when we took the school on. Results and behaviour were weak, and the buildings were in a shocking state. As a result the local community had little faith in the school, choosing in their droves to send their children to other schools.

“The turnaround of the school has involved a huge amount of work and everyone – parents, teachers, students, governors and the whole community – deserves so much credit.  This is now a school at the heart of its community and a school the community can be proud of.”