Improvements in teaching and increasing pupils’ ambitions has helped The Hereford Academy make ‘good’ progress towards raising standards, but it must now focus on achieving better GCSE results in English and maths, says a schools inspectorate.
An OFSTED inspection in June highlighted that progress made by students at the academy in South Wye had risen steadily for the last four years and in 2009 was among the top four percent of schools nationally.
The inspectors were particularly complimentary about principal John Sheppard and the leadership team, who they said had embedded ambition in pupils who were ‘becoming more aspirational in their outlook when choosing options’.
But they said ‘key weaknesses remained’ in the 2009 GCSE results in English and maths. Although they noted that a look at marks already awarded by exam boards for 2010 suggests that achievements in the core subjects ‘will be stronger’ this year.
Science remains the academy’s greatest success where changes in the curriculum have improved the amount of students getting higher grades in GCSE to 96 percent, up 20 percent in the past academic year.
It is a busy time at the academy where building work continues on the £24 million new facilities due to open in September next year, when the current building will be demolished.
The new building will house impressive new science, music and art facilities, a sports hall the size of six badminton courts and extensive design and technology facilities.
The Hereford Academy issued a statement saying: “Recognition from outside parties gives us confidence that we are approaching our challenges in the best way possible for the benefit of all our students and community. We are very happy to be celebrating this achievement.”
Principal John Sheppard wrote on the Academy’s website: “Students, parents and staff should feel very encouraged from the OFSTED monitoring visit as it identifies the excellent progress that has been made since the start of the academy.”