A village school is celebrating after Ofsted inspectors suggested they were moving towards an ‘Outstanding’ rating.

Kedington Primary Academy underwent an ungraded (Section 8) inspection from Ofsted in July – and retained its Good status achieved in March 2019.

But as part of the report, inspectors said: “The evidence gathered suggests that the

inspection grade might be outstanding if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out

now.”

The recent report paid tribute to pupils’ behaviour, describing it as “exemplary”, and said pupils “delight in coming to school”.

It added: “Classrooms are awash with learning because pupils have highly positive attitudes toward their work. Classrooms are vibrant, happy places.

“While pupils have much fun and laughter with their friends, they know that when play stops and work starts, they are expected to concentrate and try their best. This is exactly what they do. Adults expect much of pupils, and pupils live up to these expectations.”

Executive headteacher, Vicky Doherty, and head of school, Hayley Ahlquist, said they were pleased that the report represented what they see on a daily basis.

They said: “We were delighted to receive a Good rating and the suggestion that Kedington Primary School could achieve ‘Outstanding’ just motivates the staff even more to keep enhancing the education we provide to our children.

“This report is testimony to all the hard work of staff, students, families and our school community and we thank them all.

“It perfectly highlighted our school offer, not just the academic success but also the nurturing and enriching opportunities we give to children.”

Inspectors paid tribute to the fact a “culture of respect flows through the school” and the opportunities offered to pupils – including pupils running lunchtime clubs and the ‘Kedington 50’ which offers pupil 50 different enrichment opportunities.

The report added: “Pupils across the school learn exceptionally well. They develop deep and detailed knowledge across the curriculum.

“The school ensures that pupils learn to read extremely well. The youngest pupils build strong foundations in their phonic knowledge because adults are expert in teaching reading.

“Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve exceptionally well.”

Other areas of praise was the caring and nurturing environment for children in Reception class and the fact staff were highly valued by the school with a range of training and development opportunities offered.

Tim Coulson, chief executive of Unity Schools Partnership of which Kedington is a member, said: “Not only is the trust delighted at the acknowledgment of success at Kedington Primary Academy, we are very proud that this is happening at the same time as the school is working closely with Steeple Bumpstead Primary.

“The two schools have a shared leadership structure with Vicky Doherty leading both schools and this is paying dividend at both Kedington and Steeple.”

An ungraded (Section 8) inspection from Ofsted is a routine inspection carried out at schools that have been given a ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ rating.

A huge congratulations to every GCSE student who picked up their results today.

We would also like to praise all our school staff members for their support, hard work and commitment.

Breckland School said they were thrilled with the performance of students picking up their GCSE results.
Annabelle Culley-Tea, Head of School, said: “All of our students have worked incredibly hard to secure the platform for their future successes and we are looking forward to hearing of their bright and exciting futures.
“These results reaffirm the school’s commitment to ensuring that the school continues to be one which the town of Brandon and surrounding villages can be proud of.
“The school thanks the staff, families and the wider community for their support of the cohort of 2024.”

Castle Manor Academy are celebrating with Year 11 as they collect their GCSE results this morning.

The Class of 2024 achieved excellent results and were praised for showing real resilience and working incredibly hard.

Headline figures at Castle Manor are once again strong, with 56% of students gaining grades 4+ in English and Maths.

Headteacher Vanessa Whitcombe said: ‘The students should be so proud of their results. “Our congratulations go to all of them, along with best wishes for their next steps.

“They have been expertly supported by teachers and support staff and of course parents, and I would like to thank everyone involved in helping our students to reach their goals.”

70% of the 187 students taking GCSEs at County High School achieved a Grade 4 in English and Maths with 45% achieving a strong pass in those subjects.

Sally Kennedy, headteacher at County High School, said: “I am very proud of our students who have worked hard in their studies as well as contributing so positively to school life and the positive community of our school. They have demonstrated our school values of ambition and determination in their examinations.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff who worked so hard to support every student achieve their potential and we wish all our alumnae the very best in their next steps.”

GCSE and Level 2 BTEC students at Felixstowe School have been praised for showing remarkable determination and resilience throughout the last few challenging years.

The school paid tribute to the achievements of students picking up their results with many choosing to stay on at the school for sixth form.

Headteacher Emma Wilson-Downes said: “This year, our students have been incredible in rising to the challenges they have been presented with.

“The work ethic they have built and continually demonstrated will serve them well in future, and the grit and determination they have shown throughout has been nothing short of inspirational.

“We are delighted in particular with the success in our Modern Foreign Languages department, where we have seen spectacular results in French.

“We are also delighted with outcomes in Triple Science, which echoes the successes seen in the sixth form science outcomes this year.

“This year, we are thrilled that so many of our year 11 students have chosen us as their further education provider and we know they will continue to impress us as they enter the sixth form and embark on their Level 3 journey with either A Levels or vocational qualifications.”

The headteacher of Newmarket Academy has praised the hard work of students and staff following the recent GCSE results.

Headteacher Martin Witter said: “We would like to congratulate all our fantastic Year 11 students who have received their GCSE results. 

“We are delighted with the results from our students this year and we would like to pay tribute and thank all the young people, their families and all the staff at Newmarket Academy for all of their hard work over the years.  

“We are sure our students will go on and do fantastic things and we look forward to seeing and celebrating their future achievements.”

More than 220 students from Samuel Ward Academy in Haverhill collected their GCSE results.

The school has paid tribute to students after 65% achieved Grade 4 or higher in both English and maths. 

Dr Kev Geall, Head of School, said: “It’s a pleasure and a privilege to see so many students delighted that their hard work has paid off. 

“I congratulate them, the staff who have worked so hard to guide them and the families who have supported them. The future is bright for this cohort of great young people.”

St Edward’s Academy was thrilled to announce another year of exceptional GCSE results – a testament to the hard work and dedication of both students and staff.

The school said they were immensely proud of the remarkable achievements across the board, with many students attaining the highest grades and setting a new benchmark for excellence at the school.

Jodie Hassan, Executive Headteacher of St Edward’s Academy, expressed her pride in the students’ accomplishments: “I am incredibly proud of all our students for their tremendous effort and commitment, which have led to these fantastic results.

“Their hard work, coupled with the unwavering support from our dedicated staff, has truly paid off. These results are a reflection of the resilience and determination our students have shown, and I couldn’t be more pleased with their success.

“This is an exciting time for St Edward’s Academy as we continue to innovate and invest in our students’ futures.

“Starting in September 2024, every student in our Sixth Form will receive an iPad as we transition to becoming an Apple School. We are confident that this advanced technology will not only enhance the learning experience but also help drive further academic success – making St Edward’s Sixth Form an institution of choice for students across East London.”

Students at Sybil Andrews Academy have been praised after achieving the school’s best ever set of results in non-Covid times.

Grade 5 figures for English and maths at the Bury St Edmunds school increased by 10% to 50% while the Grade 4 percentage for English and Maths increased by 9% to 71%.

Almost one fifth of pupils in the year group also averaged a Grade 7 or above. 

Kevin Blakey, Executive Headteacher, said: “I would like to say well done to all pupils and staff for their hard work and to Sybil Andrews parents for their support.

“This set of results validates the good judgement received from Ofsted. We are also confident that we are on an excellent trajectory for GCSE results over the coming years.” 

Joe Pointon, Head of School, added: “We know that some pupils have overcome significant personal challenges in their preparation for these qualifications and we are delighted that their perseverance and resilience have been rewarded.”

After 74% of pupils at Thomas Gainsborough School achieved a Grade 4+ in English and maths, Helen Yapp, headteacher at Thomas Gainsborough School, said: “We are delighted by our GCSE results this year.

“They are a testament to the hard work and dedication of both the students and the staff. This cohort have risen to the challenges they have faced during their secondary education, and we look forward to their continued success as they start their A-level and college courses.”

Post-16 students across Unity Schools Partnership have today been celebrating following the publication of their Level 3 results.

Praising their hard work and commitment, Tim Coulson, Chief Executive of the Trust, said: “Today is a day of pride and celebration.

“It is our privilege as educators to watch young people develop and mature and we look with pride on what they have become.

“We celebrate their successes and wish them well in the next stage of their education and lives. We are proud too to have staff with the skill and dedication that has helped young people achieve all we can see today has come to fruition.”

*****

The final sixth form cohort at County High School in Bury St Edmunds have graduated on a high with 41.5% of grades being awarded an A or A* and 64% A*-B. 

Headteacher Sally Kennedy said: “We are very proud of our sixth form students who have all worked very hard and supported each other to fulfil their potential. 

“We know the personal challenges some of our students have faced and we are very proud of the resilience and determination they have demonstrated over the past two years. 

“We wish them the very best as they move onto their next adventure and look forward to them returning to inspire the next generations of students at County High School.”

Despite the challenging circumstances of the past few years, and the return to pre-pandemic grading, Felixstowe School students are celebrating their recent Level 3 qualifications, which show strongly improving headline figures on last year, particularly in the numbers of students achieving the top grades.

Headteacher Emma Wilson-Downes said: “The students at Felixstowe School can be rightly proud of their achievements, and proud of being Felixstownians, Alumni of Felixstowe School Sixth Form.

“The support and kindness they have shown to each other, alongside the work ethic they have built and continually demonstrated, will be a huge asset to them in their future careers.

“It is a great testament to their continued high aspirations that 60% of this year group will be going on to study at University, the highest proportion the school has seen move on to Higher Education.

“We are so proud to call them our alumni, and look forward to hearing the great things that they go on to achieve in the future.”

Students at Haverhill Community Sixth Form are celebrating after picking up their Level 3 qualifications – with many achieving their first choice of university and apprenticeships.

The sixth form’s vocational results were also the best in their history.

Pete Wilson, Head of Haverhill Community Sixth Form, said: “I congratulate students and staff on all the hard work that has gone into achieving these results.  

“I’m pleased that so many of our students are moving on to their first choice of university, apprenticeship or employment.” 

A-level students at St Edward’s Academy in Romford have been praised for the “hard work and dedication” shown over the last two years.

School leaders said the results announced today reflected the tremendous effort and potential of all students.

Executive headteacher, Jodie Hassan, said: “We are incredibly proud of our students and the results they have achieved this year.

“Their hard work and determination and their lovely positivity and demeanour makes this a standout year group.

“Our students’ successes are a testament to the support from our dedicated staff and the vibrant learning community here at St Edward’s Academy.”

A-level students at Thomas Gainsborough School have been praised after 99% received an A to E grade and 81% achieving A to C’s.

Both figures were a rise on the last set of pre-Covid grades and headteacher Helen Yapp praised the commitment of students sitting exams this year.

She said: “We are very proud of the hard work, determination and resilience shown by our A-level students.
“The results are particularly pleasing when compared to the 2019 results and when we take into account the disruption to learning during their GCSEs.”

An ambitious commitment to sixth form education will see four schools join forces and provide free iPads to all post-16 students.

Under the ‘Unity Sixth’ umbrella, sixth form students at St Edward’s Academy in Romford, Thomas Gainsborough School in Great Cornard, Haverhill Community Sixth Form and Felixstowe School will benefit from a shared curriculum including presentation and lectures given by renowned speakers from business, politics and the arts.

The post-16 arm of Unity Schools Partnership will also offer all sixth form students and teachers an iPad from September 2024, for use at both school and home.

Stephen Astley, executive director of education at Unity, said: “We are hugely excited to launch Unity Sixth and its supra curriculum from September 2024.

“By the quartet of sixth forms joining forces, we believe we can offer an enhanced and enriched experience for our students as well as the very best of shared resources, teaching skills and assessment models to drive outcomes.”

The Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Sousa, has enthusiastically committed to help launch these lectures.

Reaction to the partnership…

Jodie Hassan, headteacher at St Edward’s Academy, said, “We are incredibly proud to be launching this world class provision for our sixth form students.

“The use of iPads throughout the taught, extra and supra curriculum will ensure our students are upskilled to be future ready. 

“The supra curriculum offer will ensure our young people have access to speakers and resources comparable to any of the top schools in the country. 

“We are extremely grateful to be part of Unity Schools Partnership as our membership has enabled us to access this outstanding provision.”

Helen Yapp, headteacher at Thomas Gainsborough School, said, “As a growing and successful Sixth Form, we are eager to ensure that all our students receive every advantage and support we can give them to enable them to achieve their potential. I am proud that our Trust is committed to the use of technology to enhance and deepen the knowledge and the experience of our students and staff.”

Emma Wilson-Downes, Headteacher at Felixstowe School, said, “This will give our sixth forms the opportunity to take the very best from each setting and really capitalise on this for the benefit of us all as a family of sixth forms.

As Unity Sixth, we know we are stronger together and this is an exciting phase in the development of this provision for our post-16 students.

“By providing iPads to students both at school and at home, Unity Sixth is ensuring that learning continues beyond the classroom, fostering independent and flexible learning environments. 

“With access to cutting-edge technology and a collaborative network, students will be well-prepared to excel academically and embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.

“Alongside the supra curricular offer, which will allow students to network and link with those outside our town and the wider world, this will encourage them to explore new avenues of knowledge and personal growth and inspire them to influence others as they take that step into adult life.”

Andy Hunter, headteacher at Samuel Ward Academy, said: “We have had a record number of applications to the sixth form this year and we are still interviewing prospective students this week.

“We have never had so much interest from students at other schools and we are delighted that they will be benefitting from a shared curriculum and resources as part of Unity Sixth.”

Vanessa Whitcombe, headteacher at Castle Manor Academy, said: “This is an exciting development for Haverhill Community Sixth Form and our students.

“The opportunities to learn better by learning together are enormous and we are very excited about the future for our students.”

Unity Schools Partnership can today announce that it will be extending the Autumn half term break to a fortnight – across all of its member schools.

Following a trial last year, the trust carried out a second round of consultation in January and found that the majority of staff and parents were in favour of the two-week half term which this year will run from Monday 28th October to Friday 8th November.

Tim Coulson, chief executive of Unity Schools Partnership, said: “We would like to thank every person who took part in the two consultations and have given us their feedback and comments since we trialled the initial two-week half term in October.

“While a majority of staff and parents were in favour of the two-week half term, we acknowledge and take seriously all those comments from individuals not in favour of the proposal.

“Although there are various views, the two most significant are the cost of childcare and how learning time is made up.

“We plan again to organise additional childcare during the second week of this half-term break and individual school headteachers will explain how the learning time will be effectively addressed.”

The second round of consultation, which was launched last month, saw the trust receive 2,929 responses from parents with 58% in favour of a two-week break and 42% against the proposal.

In addition, 1,079 responses were received from staff with 89% in favour of the two-week break.

One of the main reasons behind trialling the extended October half term was to try and reduce staff and student absence during a time in the school year when figures are quite high.

The review of the trial two-week half term found that, between the half-term break and Christmas:

• Pupil absence due to illness was less in every trust school in 2023 than in 2022, and overall reduced by 25%

• Staff absence reduced by 50%.

Plans to offer more holiday activities during the two-week break in Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket, Sudbury and Haverhill are being finalised with the potential for this to be extended into other towns covered by the trust.

In March last year, the two-week Autumn half term break was originally proposed to combat high absence and also recruitment challenges for both teaching and classroom support staff.

Mr Coulson added: “As with every trust and school across the country, staff recruitment and retention is a challenge.

“We are constantly looking at ways to address this issue and highlight why a career in education remains as important and valued as ever.”

Please click here to view the responses from parents and staff, school-by-school

Staff at a Norfolk school are putting their best feet forward to help raise money for new class libraries.

The Robert Kett Primary School in Wymondham is entering a team in next month’s Marriott’s Way Trail half marathon to further enhance literacy opportunities for their pupils.

For many of the dozen staff preparing to take part, it will be their first experience of running at distance.

But deputy headteacher Janine Salter, who has led the fundraising effort alongside Lianne Rees, phase leader for Year 3 and 4, said the thought of raising thousands of pounds for their school will spur them on.

She explained: “We have always wanted a library at Robert Kett, but due to the relocation of classes across the school, we have been considering alternative spaces filled with amazing books.

“We thought individual class libraries was the next best thing and so we have started raising money for those additional rich texts that will enhance our reading experience even more.

“While most of us are not experienced runners, we have all started training hard – which included Christmas Day runs and a group festive jog over the holidays.

“We are looking forward to the event and we would like to thank everyone who has supported us, and donated money to the cause, so far.”

The team, self-titled ‘I’d Rather Be Reading’, is a mix of staff members from across the school who will be running or walking the distance on Sunday 11^th February.

To sponsor the team, please visit their Just Giving page – https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/robertkettprimary-school.

Unity Schools Partnership has today launched a second round of consultation asking all staff and parents for their comments on an extended Autumn half term break.

Last year, schools throughout the Trust trialled a two-week half term in October after an overall majority of respondents from the first consultation agreed with the proposal.

A second consultation process has now begun with staff and parents across every school encouraged to take part and let the Trust know what they thought about the fortnight half term.

The consultation will run for four weeks with the comments used to decide whether the two-week half term in October will become a permanent fixture in the school calendar.

Tim Coulson, chief executive of Unity Schools Partnership, said: “Firstly, we would like to thank every person who took part in the first consultation and have given us their feedback and comments since we trialled the initial two-week half term in October.

“As promised, we are now launching a second consultation to gauge people’s thoughts and opinions.

“We would encourage every staff member and parents across all our schools to take part to give us the best overall picture before a final decision is made.”

In March last year, the two-week Autumn half term break was originally proposed to combat two issues affecting the education sector:

1. High absence rates of staff and pupils during the Autumn Term.
2. Recruitment challenges for both teaching and classroom support staff. Currently, recruitment is difficult across all sectors, particularly the public sector. We are looking to both retain our current, excellent staff and recruit the very best staff when our vacancies arise.

Each school considered ways they could adjust the timetable over the rest of the year to ensure that no learning time was lost for pupils and decided on plans that best suited their school.

This week, each school within the Trust is writing to their staff and parents to promote the consultation period and to ask them to share their views via a school-specific online survey.

A decision is expected to be made on Friday 16^th February.

Kind-hearted members of our school community have showcased their festive spirit by donating goods for Christmas hampers to support local families.

Following on from the success of the ‘Happy Top Up Sheds’, Unity Schools Partnership has launched a school-wide appeal asking for donations for the Secret Santa hampers in the run-up to the Christmas holidays.

The hampers will then be delivered to families who have been nominated by local schools.

Lucie Calow, Director of SEND at Unity who has headed the project, said she has been delighted with the response so far.

She explained: “We wanted to do something that not only showed our schools’ festive spirit, but also their community spirit.

“We know families across the country are tackling the cost of living crisis.

“It is still not too late to hand in donations for our Christmas hampers. We ask anyone who has tinned goods, toiletries and even Christmas crackers to give them to their local Unity school before Friday 13^th December.”

The Happy Top Up Sheds were launched in schools this year, offering families different forms of support including financial as well as donations of uniform and shopping items.

Lucie said: “We are hugely grateful to have been supported by a number of organisations including the Suffolk Community Foundation, Lady Fatemah Trust and the Port Community Fund in Felixstowe. As a trust, we have raised £18,000 from central funds to support school initiatives across our 32 schools.

“This money is used to support the top up sheds and offer local families vouchers at the discretion of their headteacher. We have also signposted to other partners where help needed was more substantial and long-lasting.”

Alongside the Christmas hampers project, our schools have also been encouraging any unwanted toys to be donated to local charity shops.

Vanessa Whitcombe, headteacher at Castle Manor Academy in Haverhill, said: “Across schools in Haverhill we work closely with Reach and Matilda Rose to support their community campaigns and our families receive excellent support from these organisations. It is really lovely to be able to also produce hampers and offer them to families to bring some extra support at Christmas.”

If anyone would like to donate items for the Christmas hampers or toys for their local charity shop, they can deliver them to their local Unity school by Wednesday 13^th December.

A clear vision and broad curriculum has helped a Suffolk secondary school achieve a ‘Good’ Ofsted rating.

Sybil Andrews Academy in Bury St Edmunds has been praised for making considerable improvements as well as acknowledging “the actions it needs to take to become even better.”

The Ofsted inspection comes four years after the education watchdog rated the school as ‘Requires Improvement’.

In a statement, executive headteacher Kevin Blakey and head of school Joe Pointon said: “As a school, we are delighted with the outcome of the inspection where the overall effectiveness of Sybil Andrews was seen to be Good.

“In all four areas, the school was judged to be Good. But in particular, I am delighted that the quality of education was deemed to be good.

“The report states that ‘the school has improved significantly since the last inspection’. Our aim is to continue that trajectory as we move forward over the coming months and years.”

Following last month’s inspection, the report praised the school for its work in and out of the classroom.

Inspectors said: “Pupils enjoy studying a broad curriculum. They know it prepares them well for future study, training or work. Pupils learn well in carefully planned lessons taught by knowledgeable teachers. Pupils achieve well in a wide range of subjects.

“Pupils’ behaviour has improved. They respect staff and each other. Pupils know what is expected of them and follow clear routines.

“The school has a comprehensive programme to support pupils’ personal development. They learn about topics such as looking after their mental health, managing anxiety, positive relationships and keeping safe online.”

In addition, the report said leaders from both the school and Unity Schools Partnership, of which Sybil Andrews is a member, had a clear vision for ensuring that the school continues to improve.

The report added: “Pupils have opportunities to broaden their horizons to give them a better chance in life.

“Pupils are encouraged to take part in clubs and activities in school, such as the gardening and sustainability club, sports clubs and chess.

“The school helps pupils develop their own character and be well informed about issues that will affect their lives.

“There are opportunities for pupils to take on leadership responsibilities, such as becoming a ‘Careers Ambassador’ and pupils receive guidance about their future careers in every year group.”

Click here to view the Sybil Andrews Academy Ofsted report.

Around 400 local students have showcased their “astounding” literacy knowledge at a Book Mastermind.

Organised by Unity Schools Partnership, secondary schools from across the Trust joined together to take part in the competition.

Perry Lunn, from Thomas Gainsborough School, was crowned overall winner after dropping just two points out of 30 across two rounds of questions on The Hunger Games and general knowledge.

Perry took part in the grand final alongside 11 other students from TGS, County High School, Breckland School and Newmarket Academy.

He narrowly beat second place, Rosa Williams from County High, and fellow TGS student, Emily Head, who took third.

Organiser Mandy Harvey said: “The level of book knowledge was astounding. Huge congratulations to everyone who took part.”

Unity Schools Partnership Secondary Lead for English and Reading, Ben Godsal, who awarded the trophy to the winner, added: “I was blown away by the ability of these brilliant young people to answer questions under pressure.

“What a fantastic advert these students are. I am already looking forward to next year’s competition.”