Schools North East Celebrates Academy 360

Academy 360, a member of the Laidlaw Schools Trust, recently featured in the Schools North East blog, which celebrated the school's 'Good' Ofsted rating. 

Earlier this year, Academy 360 received an Ofsted grade of ‘good’ - a remarkable turnaround since its previous 'inadequate' judgment in 2016. 

Schools North East, the first and only school-led regional network in the UK, with over 1150 schools, highlighted Academy 360's achievement in their blog post "Congratulations to Academy 360."

Below is an excerpt from their blog post.

Read Schools North East's full blog post

Read Academy 360's Ofsted report 

The improvement of the school is a truly remarkable turnaround that will inspire schools across the country. The result is a true testament to the hard work and effort that the staff and students have invested in in their school and community.

Ofsted inspectors praised the teaching staff, led by Principal Rachel Donohue, for their ‘clear vision’ for their students. Rachel came into the school after the previous low score condemned the academy as one of the ‘worst performing’ in the country. As well as benefiting from Rachel’s inspirational leadership, Academy 360 also gained valuable strategic support by joining the Laidlaw Schools Trust in 2018. CEO of the Laidlaw Schools Trust, Ian Simpson, said:

‘We are delighted that everybody’s hard work and determination has been formally acknowledged.’

Pupils committed to their studies

The school is in a community described as being amongst the most deprived in the country, with almost 70% of children eligible for free school meals. During the 2016 report, Academy 360 received criticism of its outcomes for students. The academy historically also had issues with recruitment and retention. It had become known in the local community for its low quality teaching and antisocial student behaviour.

In the past, students’ progress was seen by Ofsted as significantly below national averages with pupils underachieving against expectations. However, in their most recent inspection Ofsted stated:

‘Pupils are becoming aspirational and committed to their studies. The principal has successfully raised expectations.’

Rachel Donohue spoke of this historic achievement and milestone for the community of Pennywell:

‘We recruited dynamic leaders and committed staff who have taken the school from strength to strength, supported by strong parental engagement and a relentless focus on teaching and learning. I am particularly proud of our staff who are described as tenacious, hard-working and determined. Their efforts to go above and beyond are highlighted as a strength with the result that students are increasingly aspirational and committed to their studies.’