ADELAIDE Heath Academy at Longridge is taking effective action towards the removal of special measures, says education watchdog Ofsted.

Schools inspector Will Smith said the headteacher was enacting an ambitious and urgent plan to improve the school, and pupils were starting to benefit from clear improvements to the quality of education.

Mr Smith was speaking in a report which followed a special measures monitoring inspection of the school in November, the third such inspection since the school became subject to special measures following an inspection in March 2018.

Adelaide Heath Academy is part of the Adelaide Academy Trust, which includes Adelaide School in Crewe and Finch Woods Academy in Merseyside.

The Longridge school changed its name in September from St John’s Wood Academy to Adelaide Heath Academy.

Mr Smith said in his report: “Leaders and managers are taking effective action towards the removal of special measures. Having considered all the evidence, the school may appoint newly-qualified teachers.

“There have been many changes at the school since the last monitoring inspection in May 2019.

“The headteacher has been made permanent in her role. The leader who was the executive headteacher is now the CEO of the AAT (Adelaide Academy Trust).

“The school now has a stable staff team and is no longer reliant on temporary teachers. Some staff have joined from Adelaide School, which is an outstanding school within the AAT. Others have joined from outside the trust.

“The number of pupils on roll at the school has continued to decline. There are now only 10 pupils on the school’s roll. These pupils are in Years 9 to 11. Only four of these pupils are currently educated at the school.

“The school teaches a further 28 pupils who are on the roll of Adelaide School. Almost all these pupils attend Adelaide Heath on a full-time basis.

“In September 2019 leaders changed the school’s name from St John’s Wood Academy to Adelaide Heath Academy. Leaders say this was to align the school more closely with the AAT and to symbolise a fresh start for the school.

“Following a lengthy period of stagnation, pupils are beginning to benefit from clear improvements to the quality of education.

“The headteacher, supported by other leaders, is enacting an ambitious and urgent plan to improve the school. The staff are highly motivated and share leaders’ ambitious vision for the quality of education.

“Leadership of the school has been strengthened considerably since the last inspection. The new headteacher is now secure in her role and has won the confidence of pupils and staff.

“Together, school leaders are now driving a coherent and ambitious plan to improve the school. The morale of staff has been transformed.

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“Given the school’s turbulent journey, the improvements leaders have made to the quality of education are recent. Pupils now benefit from a curriculum that is more ambitious.

“However, work to develop the quality of the curriculum in each subject is in its early stages.”