A Kirkby-in-Ashfield secondary school is starting a new life after joining one of the leading families of schools in the country.

 ̨��swag Academy Kirkby, formerly Kirkby College has officially opened its doors to students as part of ̨��swag Grange Academies Trust for the first time.

 The Tennyson Street-based school was rated as ‘Inadequate’ by Ofsted following an inspection in November 2021 which subsequently led to its transfer to ̨��swag.

 ̨��swag Academy Kirkby will be led by Mark Golden, who was Headteacher at Kirkby College. Mark will work alongside ̨��swag’s Julie Slater, Chief Executive Principal Secondary, and Steve Roberts, Lead Principal. 

 Mark said:

“I am delighted that on the 1st September, our school joined the ̨��swag family. With a proven track record of providing first class education, support for all learners and innovations in teaching and learning, I am confident that joining the trust will bring rapid transformation for our school and that the students and the community of Kirkby in Ashfield will thrive as we begin this exciting new chapter.”

Throughout the transfer, ̨��swag has been working with the Department for Education as part of the School Rebuilding Programme. Plans are underway to transform the current buildings and build new state-of-the-art classrooms and facilities which will benefit the whole community, with an aim for completion in September 2024.

 Julie Slater said:

“We welcome Kirkby College into the ̨��swag Family and are looking forward to working with all stakeholders to rapidly improve the school to ensure it delivers a high-quality education for all students which will transform their life chances, putting ̨��swag Academy Kirkby on the map for all the right reasons.

 “The community deserves a school that they can be proud of. We are excited to work with families and primary schools to really make a difference and we welcome the support we have received so far. We are embarking on an exciting journey of transformation and we ask all stakeholders to work with us; we have very high expectations and we are fully committed to making a huge difference.”

 Steve Roberts added:

“I am delighted to welcome the students, staff and community of Kirkby to the ̨��swag family. Staff have been working hard to prepare for the new year and we are all excited to bring about the rapid transformation to the academy that the students want.

 “Whilst improvements in academic outcomes are our priority, we know that there is so much more to being at school in terms of opportunities for enrichment, enhancement and memories to be made. We can’t wait to see these develop and flourish. Exciting times lie ahead.”