Academies still stuck at bottom of class in Yorkshire

Analysis into the performance of academies in the region by the

Yorkshire Post has found less than a quarter of the Government's flagship schools are rated as good and just one was found to be outstanding.

It also revealed that more than 3,000 pupils have left academies in the region at the age of 16 without achieving the benchmark of five good GCSEs, including English and maths.

Seven out of the 12 academies in Yorkshire which have recorded GCSE results are still missing the Government's target of getting 30 per cent of pupils to this standard.

Academies are state-funded schools which are run independently of local council control and backed by a sponsor such as charities, religious groups, businesses or other education providers.

Each new academy gets an initial monitoring visit from Ofsted five terms after opening followed by a full inspection later on.

So far 10 of the 22 academies open in the region have had full Ofsted inspections.

Last year Sheffield Park Academy, which opened in 2006, became only the third academy in the country and the first in Yorkshire to be placed in special measures.

The school's lack of progress after this damning inspection report led to Schools Secretary Ed Balls demanding that the academy sponsor, the Christian charity the United Learning Trust, draw up an urgent action plan.

Now the trust has vowed to deliver improvements and the latest monitoring visit from Ofsted found that the school had made good progress since Mr Balls' intervention.

The trust sponsors three academies in Yorkshire including Sheffield Springs which has also been rated as inadequate by Ofsted and given a notice to improve and Barnsley Academy which has the lowest GCSE pass rate of any of the region's flagship schools.

The original Ofsted report which placed Sheffield Park into special measures criticised leadership, academic attainment and pupil behaviour at the school.

Now the schools watchdog's latest report says behaviour has improved significantly and the academy is a "much calmer place than it was in December, last year."

It said: "Inspectors observed fewer incidents of poor behaviour around the site.

"Relationships in lessons are more positive.

"Call outs to deal with disruptive behaviour in lessons are decline steadily."

However it warns a tiny minority of pupils still display negative attitudes and inappropriate behaviour.

In a letter sent to parents of Sheffield Park pupils this week, Dr Antony Edkins, the trust's regional executive for the North, said: "The Ofsted inspectors have highlighted improvements in the behaviour of students and the good structures that we have put in place for how the academy is run.

"I know from the feedback I have received from parents that our behaviour policy is appreciated and has made a noticeable difference to the academy.

"These first steps are very important in coming out of special measures but there is still a long way to go.

"What we have proved is that Sheffield Park can and very soon will be a school where we can all be proud of student behaviour.

"What we are achieving in our approach to behaviour now need to spread to attendance."

The school aims to be out of special measures by 2011.

There are five academies in the region rated as satisfactory by Ofsted – the second lowest out of four grades the education watchdog can give. They are: Bradford Academy, Barnsley Academy, The Oasis Academies in Immingham and Wintringham and Havelock Academy in Grimsby.

Sheffield Springs Academy was rated as inadequate by Ofsted last year. The report highlighted weaknesses in the quality of teaching and learning and a breakdown of relationships at senior level.

However Ofsted says the school is now making satisfactory progress.

Blair's big idea for education

Tony Blair launched city academies 10 years ago in an attempt to transform education in some of the poorest parts of the country.

Struggling schools were replaced by a new school, in a new building, run independently from local education authorities and funded directly from Government.

Each academy has a sponsor, such as a charity, business, faith group or a traditional education provider, given the freedom to set their own timetables, curriculum, employment and admissions arrangements. Over time they have become known as academies rather than city academies.