More Ofsted success for major Yorkshire academy chain

Outwood Academy Foxhills, in Scunthorpe, was rated good with outstanding leadership.

The school which joined Outwood Grange Academies Trust (OGAT) in 2014 had been rated as inadequate earlier the same year when it was Invenio Academy.

It follows the Ofsted inspection into Carlton Community College in Barnsley, which has been supported by Outwood, and which also went from being rated inadequate to good.

Sir Michael Wilkins, academy principal and chief executive of OGAT praised the hard work of students staff and governors at the Scunthorpe school.

He said the Ofsted grading was “a great reflection of the amazing achievement of this school”. And Sir Michael also praised the “outstanding” leadership of Martyn Oliver and Julie Slater, regional chief executives and Angela Hull, the academy’s principal.

Ofsted inspectors hailed the “consistently strong progress” and noted that “outcomes are continuing to improve”, underpinned by “high expectations of pupils and staff.”

The report added: “The passion for all pupils to do well permeates the academy” and adds “leaders have made sure that there are excellent safeguarding procedures in place to protect pupils”.

The school has achieved record GCSE results for the last two years and moved 43 places to 8th of out 55 similar schools in the Department for Education’s Performance Tables published month.

It joined OGAT in September 2014 having previously been a stand alone academy.

OGAT is one of the academy sponsors which have received a share of extra Government cash through the Department for Education’s Northern Sponsor fund to take on more schools in areas of underperformance in the North of England.