Secondary school that is ‘invested in community’ and has ‘improved rapidly’ ranked as good all round

A Lynn secondary school has climbed Ofsted ratings since being taken on by a new trust and appointing a new head teacher.King Edward VII Academy (KES) has been ranked as good across all areas after being visited by the education inspectors on October 8 and 9.It is the first inspection that the school has had since it was taken over by the Inspiration Trust. In 2021, it was previously ranked as “requires improvement”.

KES has been ranked as “good” in students’ behaviour and attitudes – something that head teacher Darren Hollingsworth has strived to improve with enforcing a policy of “mutual respect” between staff and students.Mr Hollingsworth, who joined the school in January, said the overall good rating was achieved by a “team effort” from teachers and staff at KES.He said: “The report belongs to the entire KES community.

“Hard work from all of the staff is paying off. The fact that the staff buy into the ethos of the school where we teach mutual respect is great. “We feel like we have a school that the community can be proud of.”Ofsted said that KES expects high standards of pupils’ work and behaviour and “reminds pupils that every minute counts in meeting these standards”. The report said: “Students know that they attend an inclusive school that has improved rapidly.#

“In the past, academic outcomes have been low. Now, however, the sense of ambition is abundantly clear. Lessons are engaging and focused. Pupils learn well.”It added that students “behave well and treat others with respect”.Mr Hollingsworth added: “The feedback in this Ofsted report is a testament to the hard work and dedication that staff at KES display every day for our pupils. “Our vision to create an environment that allows every child to thrive – not just academically, but personally too, has been recognised with the fantastic outcomes mentioned in the report.“Our focus on creating a culture of mutual respect and understanding is producing well-rounded and successful individuals that the entire community of Lynn can be proud of.”The report also said that staff at KES are “invested in the school and the community”.Gareth Stevens, CEO at Inspiration Trust, said: “We are extremely proud of the work that has been taking place at King Edward VII Academy over the last year. “The team at the academy have gone above and beyond to create an environment where our pupils can get the most out of the curriculum and access additional opportunities for personal development.“Every contribution to the strategies implemented at KES has been invaluable to delivering our vision for pupils to succeed.”Ofsted gave feedback that, at times, the school doesn’t identify specific needs for students with special educational needs.It also said that some students do not attend the school regularly enough.