Leeds school 'unrecognisable' following Ofsted turnaround

A Leeds school has seen a massive improvement to its Ofsted rating following an inadequate rating in 2017.

Bishop Young Church of England Academy, on Bishops Way in Seacroft, was visited by Ofsted inspectors in 2017, who concluded the school was inadequate. This came just after the school had joined the Abbey Multi Academy Trust, and the National Schools Commissioner said Bishop Young as one of the schools causing the most concern in the country.

Following a seven-year gap, an Ofsted inspection has now ranked the school as good in every area. The report said the school has "high expectations" and said students had a "richer, more ambitious curriculum". It also praised the "inclusive and accepting environment" which it said helped to "raise pupils’ aspirations of what they can achieve".

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It adds that the students "produce work of a high standard" and said staff had access to "high-quality training". Rachael Cole, Bishop Young’s Head of School, said: "This is one of those milestone moments that our community should really celebrate.

"The progress that we have made is not based on quick, but unsustainable, wins. Over the last seven years, pretty much every element of our school has seen change, evolution and progress. From setting new standards, to creating our Bishop Character Curriculum and completely redesigning our enrichment offer for our students – Bishop Young is unrecognisable from what it once was.

"The fact that it has been the best part of a generation since our school was last graded as Good really does speak volumes for the changes that needed to be made. That is why it is important that we stop and reflect on this achievement. There is much in the report that is a cause for celebration – and it is right that, after years of hard work and dedication by every member of our community, that we acknowledge what has been achieved."

In addition, the report said the school had "effective systems" in place for children with additional needs, who "are well supported. It said all bullying was "rare".

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Paul Cooper, the school’s Executive Principal, added: "In the face of all the positives in the report, the comment that we are actually most proud of didn’t actually come from an Ofsted inspector. As the report notes, one of our young people told the inspection team that our school is ‘united’.

"When you consider that it wasn’t a huge length of time ago that the culture of this school was broken, that one word sums up how we have managed to make the changes that we have. We are working together as one.

"Our staff should be praised for how they have embraced every development opportunity and for their tireless dedication. Our fantastic families are increasingly working alongside our school and, above all else, our brilliant students are rising to the expectations we are setting and grasping the opportunities that are being created.

"It really is a journey from broken to brilliant – and I am so proud to be part of this community." Inspectors did find room for improvement as well and said the school needed to address attendance rates and to further explore school improvement strategies to make further progress.

The Abbey Multi Academy Trust Co-CEOs, Catherine Garrett and Helen Pratten, said: "“We all remember the challenge that we took on seven years ago. It has been tough, but supporting this school has been a real privilege – and delivering on the promises that we made to this community back in 2017 has been something that has never been far from our minds.

"That is why it is right that we all take a moment to celebrate this fantastic achievement – but it is also important to recognise that our work doesn’t stop here.

"This judgement is the start of the next chapter, not the end of the story. We are already working on the areas for development that have been identified, and we will be using this report as the platform to continue on the hugely positive trajectory that we are on. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Bishop Young CE Academy. It truly is a very exciting time for this school."