Pupils and staff at Old Bank Academy in Mirfield are celebrating a ‘Good’ rating from Ofsted inspectors.

In 2019 as Old Bank Junior, Infant and Nursery School, the school was rated ‘Inadequate’ and in 2020 it became an academy and joined Huddersfield-based Impact Education Multi Academy Trust.

The school has been turned around in the four years since and Ofsted inspectors praised the “transformational work” that has taken place.

The inspection report said “new leaders have transformed the school and have created a highly positive culture.”

Ofsted inspectors judged the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision all to be good.

The report said that “pupils feel safe and happy” and that there is a “strong ethos of care and support the school provides.”

Headteacher Judy Wood said: “I am delighted that Ofsted have agreed with our own assessment of Old Bank Academy.

“I am really pleased that the comments of the inspectors recognise the hard work and rapid progress we have made over the last four years.

“I would like to thank pupils, staff, parents, governors, trustees and our wider community for their continued support and dedication to the academy.”

 

 

Inspectors praised student behaviour and the culture of the academy, saying that “communication, relationships and working together are a strength of the school” and adding that “the relationships between adults and pupils are respectful.”

Inspectors also praised the quality of the teaching and learning in the classrooms, saying: “The school has an ambitious curriculum….and has the same ambitions for pupils with SEND” and that “pupils work with focus in lessons.”

Chair of governors David Fann said: “The governors are incredibly proud of the whole academy community who have worked so hard to achieve this well-deserved grading.

“We now need to continue to build on this strong ‘good’ judgement and move towards becoming an ‘outstanding’ academy.”

The inspectors praised the work to support students’ personal development and guidance where the ‘GROW’ values of Growth, Respect, Opportunity and Well-Being are “threads that run through school life” and said that “this school provides a wealth of opportunities to broaden pupils’ life skills.”

Mick Kay, CEO at Impact Education Multi Academy Trust, added: “Old Bank Academy is unrecognisable from the school we inherited in April 2020.

“To be judged good in all areas is a significant achievement and I’m proud of our exceptional pupils and staff who have worked incredibly hard to deliver transformational change at Old Bank.

“The inspection team also identified that this is a nurturing and inclusive school which pupils are proud to attend.

“Our main focus now as a Trust is to build upon the significant improvement in standards for pupils at Old Bank over the past few years and ensure that all pupils achieve success and leave as kind, courteous, confident and hard-working young people.”

Impact Education Multi Academy Trust is made up of eight academies, including Newsome Academy in Newsome and Hill View Academy in Almondbury, with two more schools set to join in July.