'Gold-ham' - top result for Oldham school
'Dynamic', and 'highly effective' describe Oldham Academy according to Ofsted.
THE Oldham Academy North has been judged "good" by OFSTED, with improvements across the school described as 'a sweeping change' and 'ready to fly.'
The report states the 'dynamic' leadership style of the principal has 'sharpened systems' to form a strong team around him to build a firm platform for future success.
The report also commented on the effectiveness of the senior leadership team, stating that "senior leaders have a secure and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Inspectors agreed with senior leaders’ evaluations of teaching and learning."
The pupil progression was also praised due to the 'quality of teaching and learning' throughout all aspects of the curriculum'. OFSTED have described the Visual and Creative Arts department as "exceptional", commenting on how "teachers combine excellent subject knowledge with a very secure understanding of how their pupils learn."
Safeguarding and the pastoral care was also rated "good", stating that the provision provided by the team in this department is "highly effective" and that "staff empower pupils and remove barriers to their learning, building pupils’ self-esteem and improving outcomes."
The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare was described as "outstanding." The Academy’s bespoke Future’s Programme was noted highly, commenting that it is "a specialist curriculum, which enriches pupils’ skills and provides new experiences. All pupils have the opportunity to excel and develop interests and aspirations beyond the classroom.
The welfare and personal development of pupils is taken very seriously by all staff within the school and Additional Needs was also a highly regarded.
Principal Martin Knowles said: "I am absolutely delighted to finally have been given the judgement which we, as a team, have all worked so hard towards achieving.
"It is a ground-breaking success for the Academy and I am extremely proud and grateful to all staff, students, parents, carers, E-ACT and the local community for their continued hard work and support. Our journey to Outstanding begins now and we are ready for the next challenge!"