John Port Spencer Academy gains Good at first Ofsted inspection
John Port Spencer Academy’s pupils and staff are triumphant after receiving a turnaround ‘good’ Ofsted report during a full section 5 inspection, the first since joining Spencer Academies Trust in 2018.
The academy, located in Etwall is part of the Spencer Academies Trust. They received a section 5 inspection which is designed to re-assess the academy’s status after the former John Port School was deemed inadequate and converted to academy status in 2018, under the new identity, John Port Spencer Academy.
This was the first full inspection following the conversion, and everyone involved was delighted to see the transformation in status.
Her Majesty’s Inspector commented that the academy is ‘well led and managed, Leaders, including those from the trust, have ensured that the school has made continual progress.’
During the inspection, the academy was recognised for offering its pupils a well-rounded education, ‘Pupils value the education they receive at John Port Spencer Academy. They benefit from the dedication of staff and leaders who are committed to providing them with a high-quality education.’ Recognition for well-built relationships was also noted, ‘There are strong relationships between pupils and staff. Pupils show their appreciation of staff in the way they respectfully respond to them.’
The inspector praised the curriculum offering that has been implemented across the academy and sixth form, ‘Senior leaders have worked well with subject leaders in the school and with trust leaders to improve the curriculum. They have focused on ensuring that pupils learn from a ‘knowledge-rich curriculum. Subject leaders have thought carefully about what knowledge teachers should teach and when. This enables pupils, including students in the sixth form, to know more and remember more.’
Positive feedback around careers and opportunities was also highlighted, ‘Leaders have prioritized the teaching of careers. Pupils receive high-quality career information and advice. Students in the sixth form have access to a range of work experiences. Other pupils benefit from the close relationship the school has with local businesses especially those in the engineering industry.’
The report acknowledged that the pupils also have many extra-curricular opportunities, ‘Leaders have ensured that a wide range of clubs and activities are available after school and during lunchtime. Such activities include drama and music clubs, and LGBT + support club, and opportunities for pupils to be involved in national competitions.’
Karen Squire, Principal of John Port Spencer Academy said;
‘We have finally received our Ofsted report and I am delighted that John Port Spencer Academy is now rated as a Good School. The inspectors were able to see the high-quality education in the classroom and the exceptional behaviour of our students. There are areas of development that we were already focussing on prior to the inspection, so we will continue to improve on these areas. We are now continuing on our journey to get John Port an Outstanding rating on our next inspection.
Thank you for all your support over the past 5 years, John Port Spencer Academy has been a large ship to move, but it has been worth the effort to ensure the students in our local area receive a Good education.’
Paul West, CEO of Spencer Academies Trust, was delighted with the inspection;
‘We are extremely proud of everyone at John Port Spencer Academy. Karen and the team have done an extraordinary job in receiving good at their first Ofsted inspection since joining the Trust, by implementing strong leadership and teaching that has helped them obtain a strong report following inspection. As a Trust, we put high-quality teaching and learning in all that we do, and John Port Spencer Academy is a great example of this. We are so pleased that this has been acknowledged and how well the staff and pupils have done to achieve this. Congratulations to all involved.’