Academy gets first 'good' Ofsted rating since 2017

A secondary school has received a "good" Ofsted rating for the first time since it became an academy in 2017.

Wednesfield Academy had previously been rated by the watchdog as "requires improvement".

The West Midlands school, which has more than 1,000 pupils, was found to have "undergone a significant period of change and development," since it was last inspected in 2022.

Head teacher Joe Phillips said he was "immensely proud" of the progress the school had made to achieve verdicts on now providing "rapidly raised expectations" and a "highly ambitious" curriculum.

Deputy head Rachel Beazley, who has worked there for more than 25 years, said: "It's like a new school. It is very emotional for those of us who have been here for some time, like I have."

The school joined the Matrix Academy Trust in January 2023 and its CEO Lynsey Draycott, said she was pleased the hard work of staff had been recognised.

"Not many schools go from Requires Improvement to Good in just over two years," she added.

The latest Ofsted report said it had noted "rapidly raised expectations around learning and behaviour" and praised the school for a "highly ambitious and well sequenced curriculum for all pupils".

It also said the academy was a "highly inclusive school, where everyone is valued and where expectations for pupils to achieve well are high".

The inspectors found the school supports children with special educational needs well and the relationships between pupils and staff was "warm and respectful".

Previously, although the school had been rated "good" in some areas, this was the first time it has got an across-the-board positive verdict.

The school, which has existed in various forms on the site since the 1960s, had also received "good" ratings prior to becoming an academy.

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