Ofsted
Dear Parents / Carers
Ofsted Report from their inspection on the 28-29 March 2023
I am delighted to share with you the fantastic news that Ofsted returned to the Academy just before Easter and have judged us to be a GOOD in all key areas.
We are therefore now judged to be a GOOD School!
I am so pleased that we have been able to show the rapid improvements demanded by the inspectors at the last inspection. We are proudly an inclusive Academy which welcomes the full diverse range of students and their abilities. Our aim is to be a beacon of hope in inclusive education and it is clear from our report that we are beginning to realise that aim.
The staff have been tremendous in responding to every challenge and leaders in the academy have worked purposefully with great skill and attention to detail to ensure our systems and processes are up to scratch.
Our trust, DNEAT, has been fantastic in helping us to improve rapidly, providing the expertise, support and capacity to allow us to respond to every challenge. I am also indebted to the governing body whose unwavering support and steely determination and challenge have allowed the Academy to respond systematically and robustly around all categories of judgement.
This is a remarkable turnaround over just two terms, from the inadequate judgement we received at our last inspection in June 2022 to being classed as good in all areas by Ofsted in March 2023.
As a result of this outcome, the Department for Education (DfE) has decided not to proceed with its previously announced proposal to re-broker Open Academy to another trust.
Oliver Burwood, CEO of Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust, said:
“We share in the delight and pride of all at Open Academy in Ofsted’s praise of the
academy, and I would like to pay credit to all the staff and to the governing body for the
remarkable work they do every single day. The plaudits are richly deserved because the
academy’s leaders, under Mr Ford’s determined leadership, have worked tirelessly to
address the concerns identified at the previous inspection. “
The Trust provided additional support and challenge to ensure that the academy was able to demonstrate that it is a good school. The DfE has decided not to proceed with its previously announced proposal to re-broker Open Academy to another trust. We look forward, therefore, to helping the Open go from strength to strength.'
It has been quite a year, however, in many ways, all schools require improvement and it should be borne in mind that much of the ground work for this ‘good’ judgement was underway for years prior to even the last inspection. It is however gratifying that we have been able to maintain our ethos of an inclusive community based on Christian values, yet which welcomes all faiths and none. I am heartened that an academy with such high levels of both social need and children with SEND is able to meet the exacting standards of Ofsted
and I hope you enjoy reading the attached GOOD report!
I was particularly pleased to read that in the inspectors’ view, the Academy “is an inclusive school. Pupils are tolerant of difference and supportive of peers who find things difficult. Pupils of all abilities have their individual needs supported in lessons. Careful adaptations are made by teachers to enable this to happen.”
I am therefore attaching a copy of the inspection report with this email for your convenience to read for yourselves the report behind this wonderful news.
Please also see the newsletter which will be sent later today, for our usual weekly roundup of what is happening in the Academy.
Kindest regards
Jon Ford