Westminster Academy

The Naim Dangoor Centre

255 Harrow Road

London

W2 5EZ

020 7121 0600
 

 

Press Release

 

Ofsted applauds dramatic improvements at Westminster Academy

 

Ofsted recently completed a full inspection of Westminster Academy. They were at the Academy for two days, observing 45 lessons and holding meetings with groups of students, members of the governing body and staff. Their findings include:

 

  • The achievement of students over the last two years has improved dramatically. Students now leave Key Stage 4 with results that are in line with national averages. Students’ achievement is now satisfactory because of the secure progress they make in lessons.

 

  • There are many indications of strong improvements in important areas of the academy’s work. These are a consequence of the good leadership provided by the principal and her senior team. This positive trajectory is due to leadership that focuses on the right priorities, and the effectiveness of the way in which improvements are managed. This gives the academy a good capacity to drive further improvement.

 

  • The principal maintains a very good balance between exercising strategic oversight of the development of the academy and having detailed knowledge of all aspects of its work, the staff and the students. For example, she personally took responsibility for leading the improvements in the quality of teaching and the use of assessment over the last year which successfully targeted inadequate practice.

 

  • The quality of teaching is consistently satisfactory and there is some that is good and even outstanding.

 

  • The curriculum is broad and relevant to students’ needs. For example, the topic approach at Key Stage 3 successfully balances the need for the targeted development of numeracy and literacy with the requirement to maintain an emphasis on subject specific skills.

 

  • The extent to which students take part in, and enjoy, a wide variety of sporting activities has increased due to the academy’s active passport scheme.

 

  • Attendance is improving strongly and is now in line with national averages, and even better at some times of the year in some year groups.

 

  • Some aspects of the way in which the academy prepares students for their future are very impressive. The international business and enterprise specialism is used to influence the curriculum provision strongly and this, together with the internship programme in Year 10, plays a very strong role in developing a range of important enterprise skills in students.

 

  • The academy’s communal spaces and classrooms provide a very pleasant working environment and students show respect for it. Students’ behaviour is generally pleasant and respectful, and they are welcoming to visitors.

 

  • Students spoke warmly about the good quality of the support and care they receive from staff. There is outstandingly effective and well resourced tutorial provision which has a positive impact on individuals and groups.

 

Principal Smita Bora welcomed Ofsted’s findings saying, “This praise for my students, staff, parents and the community is long overdue. We have been recognised for our achievements under the most rigorous Ofsted inspection framework in history, which some schools have escaped and which many schools will never have to face under the new inspection exemptions introduced by the government”

 

Chair of Governors, Jeremy Witts says, “Although we still have some way to go  to achieve our full aspirations, I am very pleased  indeed with our Ofsted report, which not only  endorses the effectiveness of our ongoing strategy for improvement, but is also well-deserved recognition of  the immense efforts that have been made by our excellent teaching and support staff as well as by our pupils."

 

Ends

 

Additional information:

 

The full Ofsted report can be read on the Ofsted website at http://www.ofsted.gov.uk

 

Westminster Academy opened in 2006 and moved to its new premises in September 2007. Since then, it has raised the achievement of its students from 17% to 45 % attaining five or more A*- C grades at GCSE including English and maths while also dramatically improving behaviour and the aspirations of students with 100% of its Sixth Form students progressing to university.

 

Westminster Academy was inspected under the new Ofsted framework introduced on 1st September 2009. This framework has raised the bar significantly, making it more difficult for schools with challenging intakes and circumstances to succeed in moving out of inadequate categories.

 

For further information or photographs, please contact:

Maureen Pepper

Culture and Communications  Manager

Westminster Academy        ``

255 Harrow Road

London W2 5EZ

020 7121-0625

[email protected]