Thorne academy making good progress under new leadership, says Ofsted

Trinity Academy was found to be ‘good’ in all but one area in a recent Ofsted inspection.

New senior leaders are having a positive overall effect on the academy, in Thorne.

Principal Wendy Adeniji and Head of School Vic Gibson have worked rapidly since September 2020, to improve the academy the inspectors said.

Staff are proud to work at Trinity and governors had helped to provide stability during a period of transition.

In their report, the inspectors said: “Parents, carers and pupils speak positively about many of the changes implemented over time. The proportion of parents who would recommend the school has doubled since it was last inspected.”

Exclusions and the number of students accessing alternative provision is reducing while attendance has improved.

Students were praised for their behaviour, courtesy and respect for the code of conduct. Movement around the school was calm and well supervised and any incidents of poor behaviour, or bullying, were dealt with quickly and effectively.

The sixth form was recognised for the quality of teaching and learning, the broad range of subjects and help for students to prepare them for their next steps, with mutual respect between teachers and sixth formers.

The academy has a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities and a well-designed careers programme.

The inspectors said the academy could do more to ensure the curriculum is appropriate and ambitious for all pupils, to encourage all students to read more for pleasure and achieve greater consistency in teachers’ implementation of subject plans.

Principal Wendy Adeniji said: “There are lots of positives to take from the inspectors’ report and we are encouraged that they have recognised the tangible progress that the academy has made.

“We have been graded as ‘good’ for leadership and management, students’ behaviour and attitudes and personal development, which represents a significant step forward. We thank all of our students and parents for their contribution and working with us to achieve these improvements.

“The report offers some clear direction as we build on these strong foundations and move forward as a school community, heartened by this recognition of the progress we have made.”

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