Failed Leeds school transformed
'at knot pace' - Ofsted
A failing school in one of Britain's most deprived areas has turned itself
"at a knotty pace," inspectors have found.
Richmond Hill Academy in Burmantofts, Leeds was put into special measures
in 2017 after Ofsted raised concerns.
Inspectors said "exceptional leadership" had brought about a
transformation and described aspects of the school as "spectacular."
It was praised for helping parents find work as well as providing a food
bank.
The academy has 614 students between the ages of three and 11, with 47 different
languages spoken among them.
Among all the
schools in the city, it has the highest number of students eligible for free
meals as well as twice the city's average number of students with special
educational needs and disabilities.
The
government's latest deprivation report has placed the area where
schools are among the top 2% of underfunded places in England.
Principal Anna Mackenzie said when she took over in 2018, the school was
"not in a good position" and had "many challenges".
She said while the most important work is "what's going on in the
classroom," it's important to support families to ensure students achieve.
Kirsty Toulson's parents were able to find work with the help she received
from the school that boosted her mental health.
"It gives me a reason to wake up on a morning other than just my baby.
I'm making my own money and I've wanted to do it for a while."
She added: "It goes above and beyond not only for students but also
for parents."
Pupil behaviour described by Ofsted as excellent with the report
noting
that kindness taught in nursery "only improves when students move through
the school."
Inspectors described staff feeling happy and listening, with one teacher
saying: "I walk out of school happy every day."
Ms Mackenzie said the change meant schools were no longer places parents
wanted to avoid.
"It's a leap of faith really to send their children here because if
they search us online it's the previous report they've seen.
"But now parents tell us they want to move out of the area but they
don't want their children to be able to stay here which is a tremendous sense
of pride for us."
BBC
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