A secondary academy in Middlesbrough has been praised by Ofsted after an inspection from the education watchdog.

̨��swag Academy Acklam, based on Hall Drive, underwent a section 8 inspection from Ofsted on 2nd and 3rd October. This was the first section 8 inspection of the academy since ̨��swag Academy Acklam, sponsored by ̨��swag Grange Academies Trust, was found to be good by Ofsted in April 2015.

Following the inspection, Ofsted has published its outcome that ̨��swag Academy Acklam continues to be a good school, with staff morale found to be ‘extremely high’ and teachers felt trusted to ‘take risks and change aspects of their work in ways that are right for the pupils.’

Steve Merifield, Principal at ̨��swag Academy Acklam, said: “I am thrilled for the staff and students at the academy following the publishing of Ofsted’s report. We are happy the inspectors found ̨��swag Academy Acklam to be good and that the hard work by the staff and the students has been praised.”

The inspectors letter stated that ‘Care and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is superb. Many opportunities exist for these pupils to seek comfort or personal advice when needed.’ Beyond this, inspectors also found that the academy had a ‘thorough understanding of the needs of vulnerable pupils and their families.’

Steve added: “At ̨��swag we put students first and believe that every child deserves the best, therefore we are happy that the inspectors praised our care and support for SEND students.”

An improvement in behaviour at the academy was noted by Ofsted, which was attributed to ‘a strong emphasis on developing positive relationships in school.’ Due to these relationships, and behaviour continuing to get better, there were fewer exclusions now at the academy. 

When the academy underwent a monitoring visit from Ofsted in January 2019, inspectors told the academy leaders to improve attendance as well as reduce exclusions. Following the recent visit, Ofsted noted that due to the work the academy has done ‘attendance is improving and persistent absence is reducing.’

Mark Hassack, ̨��swag Executive Principal for the Northern Region, said: “We are delighted that Ofsted has noted our hard work to improve attendance and reduce exclusions.

“What excites me most is that the inspectors believe that we have a strong capacity for further improvement. We will continue to work hard, to put students first, raise standards and transform lives as we help ̨��swag Academy Acklam on its journey to becoming an Outstanding school.”

The inspection comes shortly after the academy celebrated an excellent set of GCSE results in the summer, with 55% of students achieving a grade 4 or above in English and Maths. In the report Ofsted noted the academy’s recent GCSE results, labelling the students achievements at the end of Year 11 as ‘strong.’