Praise for dramatic turnaround at Oxford Academy
Oxfordshire County Council has paid tribute to the efforts of staff and pupils at Oxford Academy in achieving a dramatic turnaround in the school’s fortunes.
The school was recently ranked among the best in the country based on a new performance measure, and its achievements were praised at yesterday's Full Council meeting (Tuesday, 1 November).
Oxford Academy has made huge strides since being judged inadequate by Ofsted as recently as 2012. The outcome of an inspection in September this year rated it good, with the “effectiveness of leadership and management” judged to be outstanding.
The academy is now ranked 14th out of all secondary schools nationally for “Progress 8”, which means the progress made by pupils at the school across eight key subjects, is among the best in the whole country. The school was the second academy to be opened in Oxfordshire, back in 2008.
Remarkable result
The council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families Melinda Tilley said: “This really is a remarkable result for which everyone associated with Oxford Academy deserves enormous credit, and special praise must of course go to the headteacher and governors for their leadership.
“Above all, I believe this shows what can be achieved by talented and hardworking staff and pupils, as well as the support of families. Regardless of whether a school is an academy or not, what matters is the desire to make a difference for young people, and the ability to make it happen.”