CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating the remarkable turnaround of a secondary school once branded one of the worst in the country.
The Whitehaven Academy has been rated as ‘good’ across all areas in its first Ofsted inspection since joining Cumbria Education Trust (CET) in late 2018 and moving into a new £15m building last year.
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.
Julie Rayson, who was a parent at the academy when she and others formed the Whitehaven Academy Action Group in 2016, said: “We are absolutely delighted.
“We never had any doubt about the capabilities of the staff. It was just the circumstances they were trying to teach in with the lack of resources and the awful classrooms they were in, with not much backing from the trust at the time.
“The stability with Mr Youngman, CET, the new build and everything that goes with it, has obviously helped. The pupil numbers are going up and we’re really pleased that we stuck in right from the start and didn’t give up, otherwise the school might have been closed.
“It’s nice to be recognised and acknowledged now. We didn’t do it for ourselves. We did it for our own children and the future of children in Whitehaven and the surrounding areas to have the opportunity of having another good school in the area, without having to travel.
“I remember 2016 being a really difficult year for us, trying to get people to listen to what we had to say. The concerns with the finances, the teacher strikes. At the height of it, we never thought we would get to where we are now.
“There are a lot of staff there who stuck in and the care that they gave some of the students - who were sitting their exams when the building was falling to bits around them - was absolutely amazing.”
Copeland MP Trudy Harrison, who was instrumental in helping to remove the previous Bright Tribe Trust which has been key to bringing about the transformation, said: “I extend my huge congratulations to everyone at Whitehaven Academy on this glowing Ofsted report.
“From where the school found itself only a few years ago, to now be thriving in a brand new building - and to have this significant improvement recognised by Ofsted - is an amazing achievement.
“The inspectors have rightly identified so much that is good about the school, including the behaviour and attitudes of the pupils and the ambition of the leadership, and all this and more has been evident each time I have had the pleasure of visiting the school.
“The success is a testament to the headteacher, staff, trust, pupils and the whole school community. I am thrilled for everyone involved.”
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