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“Significant improvement”; Ofsted recognise rapid transformation of Weavers Academy, Wellingborough


Staff and pupils at Weavers Academy, a Creative Education Trust school in Wellingborough, were celebrating today as their latest Ofsted report declared them good in all areas.

“A great majority of pupils go onto higher education when they leave school and gain places at prestigious universities” (Ofsted, 2017)

Transformation of the school has been swift, with inspectors noting “significant improvement” since their last visit, just under two years ago. Because of the “determined leadership” of Principal Vivien Swaida and her team, the school now has some of the best GCSE results in the country for progress and is helping pupils to “gain places at prestigious universities”.

The school’s last set of GCSE results showcased this transformation when Weaver Academy pupils achieved:

Better than national and local average for Progress 8, the government’s new measure for accessing how significantly a student’s results improve between leaving primary school and taking their GCSEs. This placed it in the top 25% of the country.
Better than national and local average for Attainment 8
Better than local average in mathematics and science at GCSE

As well as noting that pupils are “polite, respectful and positive” and “staff morale is high”, the report the school’s strong careers advice and guidance, including at sixth form. The school works helping pupils to build the foundations they need to successfully go on to higher education and into the workplace:

 “Leaders have developed pupils’ life skills as well as academic skills. There is a wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop their leadership skills, including peer coaching and involvement in the school’s parliament.”
“Pupils receive highly effective impartial careers and advice guidance. As a result, pupils are prepared well for their next steps when they leave school.”

Weavers Academy is a Creative Education Trust school. Inspectors wrote that the trust provides “effective support and challenge to senior leaders” including “subject specialist advisors who have worked closely with the subject leaders to ensure the necessary improvements in the quality of teaching”.

Vivien Swaida, Principal, Weavers Academy:
“Weavers is a school where teachers are proud to teach and pupils are enthusiastic to learn. I am delighted that Ofsted have seen our transformation – staff and pupils have worked incredibly hard to achieve this. If you would like to see it for yourself, please get in touch. I would love to show you around our school and brilliant sixth form.”

Marc Jordan, Chief Executive, Creative Education Trust:
“When visiting Weavers, I am always taken by everybody’s determination to be the very best they can be – teachers and pupils alike. This is reflected in today’s Ofsted judgement. I congratulate everybody for this success and look forward to seeing the school continue to go from strength to strength.”