Hartlepool secondary school hailed as 'Good' in latest Ofsted inspection report

Dyke House Academy, sponsored by Northern Education Trust, was subjected to a one-day inspection in February which concluded that the overall effectiveness of the school remains as ‘Good’.

The inspection report states that the principal, the executive principal and other leaders "provide a clear message to all members of the school community that your ‘decision making is driven entirely by what is best for children’.

It adds: "You are committed to ensuring that pupils get a good education and as your trust statement says, you are ‘outcomes focused and childcentred’. Leaders, including governors, are clear about the school’s current strengths and priorities for further improvement.

"Collectively, you are committed to raising standards across the school. As a result, plans are clearly focused on improving pupils’ progress by ensuring that teaching is consistently effective.

"However, there is more work to be done to ensure that pupils’ education is consistently at the standard that you expect."

The inspector also found the vast majority of parents confirm that ‘their children are happy, safe and well looked after at the school’ and would recommend the school to other parents.

The inspection report outlined several areas for improvement to push towards the 'Outstanding' status.

It said: "Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

* The attendance of all pupils, and those pupils who are regularly absent from school, improves further so that they make better progress, particularly among disadvantaged pupils;

* They continue to work to improve pupils’ behaviour and so reduce the number of incidents that lead to fixed-term exclusions;

* They further reduce differences between the progress of disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged classmates;

* They improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in English so that boys become more accomplished and accurate in their writing;

* The consistency of teaching, learning and assessment in science improves."

While recognising the areas for improvement in the journey to outstanding, school chiefs say it is pleasing for them to note that Ofsted affirmed good practice within the academy, stating that “learning routines are well established and the vast majority of pupils are encouraged in their learning”.

Bosses say they were pleased with the recognition that the Academy “adopts a holistic approach to the care of all pupils, including the most vulnerable” and that staff have “a clear understanding of the challenges facing your most vulnerable pupils”.

Adam Palmer, principal, said: "I am thrilled for all our students and staff.

"It is important to recognise the significant effort and commitment that has been put into improving the life chances of students within our community through the quality of education we provide.”

Andrew Jordan, executive principal, expressed his admiration for Mr Palmer’s leadership and commitment to providing an inclusive education, adding: "I am particularly proud of the work the school does for those students with SEND and that Ofsted recognised this as a strength of the school.

"We want all students to achieve, regardless of their starting point or background and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure this happens."