Ofsted Reports

Ofsted has visited us four times since January 2014. Their most recent visit was in February 2020. You can read the report in full by following the link below. Some key points from the opening paragraph are:

Pupils are proud to attend Torquay Academy. The school has high ambitions for pupils, who say they feel inspired to do their best.
Pupils and staff say that every second counts.
Pupils are prompt to lessons and waste no time before starting their learning. Behaviour is good, and learning is rarely disrupted.

In their previous inspection that took place in June 2016, I believe the first two paragraphs sum up the essence of the report and the key messages for me:

Pupils, staff and governors take pride in being part of Torquay Academy. Pupils view the school as a ‘real community’.
Inspired by the leadership of the principal, senior leaders have brought about rapid improvements to pupils’ behaviour, the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.

The inspection before that was in March 2015, it was a one day no-notice inspection that focused upon behaviour. I was very pleased that the inspector concluded that “Leaders and managers have taken effective action to improve behaviour and secure consistently positive attitudes to learning”.

I am a firm believer that strong discipline underpins the effective running of a school enabling all students to learn in a positive atmosphere. Ofsted wrote “Academy leaders, under the direction of the Principal, successfully implement ‘zero tolerance’ in managing students’ behaviour. This includes insisting that students wear the correct uniform, arrive to lessons on time and do not chew gum, wear headphones or use bad language. Leaders have a high profile. They chat to students, inspire everyone to keep the campus free from litter and encourage students quickly into lessons. Students appreciate that the Principal knows them all by name and shows an interest in how they are getting on in their work and behaviour. Staff report how they welcome academy leaders’ immediate support in underpinning the academy behaviour policy”.

The inspectors saw many encouraging features during their two days with us and I feel the report reflects what a fantastic school this is. This praise will not sway me from the job that I know is still to be done here over the coming weeks, months and years. Our Governors and Trustees believe that I have the team to continue making these positive changes, a view that was echoed in the very first report that was written back in June 2014, it stated “the recently-appointed Principal and his senior leadership team are highly effective” and “They are taking very effective action to bring about improvement.”

The Academy is currently heavily oversubscribed and we are managing a waiting list of those wanting to join us. For me, it is easy to see why parents and children are queuing up to attend. From the many positive comments in the report I have selected four below that I believe reflect upon student achievement, the importance of literacy and English, the happiness of the children in our care and the pride students take in themselves and of their surroundings.