Ilsham is an Ofsted Good Provider

lsham Church of England Academy celebrates ‘Good’ Ofsted grade.

Delighted staff and children at Ilsham C of E Academy are pleased to announce that Ofsted has judged that the Academy remains ‘Good’.

During the inspection, the inspector spoke to a range of parents and also took into account the views of parents who had responded online. He stated that they were all impressed with the care and the high quality of education provided. They were particularly impressed by the care taken to provide bespoke support to meet the needs of their children. The report notes a typical comment from a parent: “I can’t speak highly enough about the school. The support that I have received to help my child is phenomenal.”

Another comment from a parent was: “Every teacher we have encountered has gone above and beyond to provide the best education possible.”

Ilsham is part of The Learning Academy Partnership Multi Academy Trust and the Inspector noted how the Trust encourages staff to use findings from academic research to improve the quality of teaching and learning across the academy and that leaders from across the Trust work closely together to support improvements in all aspects of academy life.

The Inspector reported that the leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the academy since the last inspection and in the high-quality training for teachers and support staff to make sure that ongoing assessment of pupils’ progress is accurate and used by staff to move pupils forward in their learning; noting that this had led to the significant improvements in pupils’ outcomes.

This builds upon the consistently high levels of achievement placing Ilsham as one of the top performing schools across the country for the past 10 years.

All of the staff members who responded to the staff questionnaire say that they are proud to work at the school. They feel respected and value the many opportunities provided for them to develop professionally.

In the Ofsted letter to Mrs Stephens, Head of Academy, the Inspector acknowledged the Head of Academy’s drive: “She leads her dedicated staff team with great enthusiasm and a determination to make sure that all pupils are valued and cared for.”

Mrs Stephens said: “We are extremely pleased with the Ofsted report as it recognises and highlights the many excellent features of our academy. At the heart of Ilsham is the vision that every child will succeed and reach their potential. We recognise the uniqueness and achievements of every member of our school family and we are extremely passionate and committed at Ilsham in ensuring that every child will flourish, that they will achieve the very best they can and fulfil their dreams and ambitions through a culture and curriculum of excellence. I am proud to say that Ilsham is a unique school and we will continue to strive forward on our journey of excellence, ensuring a continued excellence of provision and outcomes for all our children.”

Mrs Atkinson, Chief Executive of the Learning Academy Partnership said: “This report recognises the excellent quality of provision that Ilsham C of E Academy continues to provide. This is testament to the exceptional leaders, staff and children at the academy and the support from parents, leaders and teachers from across the family of schools within the Trust; all working together for the benefit of every child at Ilsham. We are delighted that this report fully recognises the hard work and commitment of that team and what a very special place Ilsham C of E Academy is. Ilsham is well placed to continue to go from strength to strength in the future.”

The Learning Academy Partnership is a values-led family of exceptional schools. The schools work together within a Multi Academy Trust, currently consisting of 8 primary schools and All Saints Teaching School Alliance, supporting school improvement across the South West. The Learning Academy Partnership are due to open a brand new school in Paignton and The Spires College is due to join the Trust in the new academic year. Torbay primary schools also include Ilsham and Ellacombe.

Ilsham is an Ofsted Good Provider