ACHIEVEMENT
Over the years, Foundation schools have contributed significantly to the raising of educational standards and aspirations in the areas that they serve. In this time there have been many notable achievements, all of which are seen as a springboard for further improvement in the service we provide, rather than a reason for complacency.
For example, Emmanuel College, Gateshead, has been an Ofsted “Outstanding” school throughout its history. It is one of the North East’s leading state secondary schools demonstrating both exceptional attainment and very strong progress in external examinations. Emmanuel College is heavily oversubscribed with over three students applying for each of the 240 places in each year group. Each year, Emmanuel sees a high portion of sixth form students take up places at the UK’s top universities and secure opportunities with leading apprenticeship providers.
The King’s Academy, Middlesbrough, marked its tenth anniversary with its best results to date and a £1.2m investment in Sixth Form and Performing Arts facilities. In its first decade, the Academy was placed among the top 10% of schools in England for added value and has been the “most improved” school in the North East. The Academy welcomes four times the average percentage of students with special needs and its provision for these young people has been described as “exemplary” and “outstanding”.
Trinity Academy in Thorne near Doncaster has won countless accolades since opening in 2005, including that of the ‘most improved’ school in Yorkshire and in England for three consecutive years. There is widespread recognition that the Academy has had a profound and lasting impact on aspirations among young people, their attainment and the opportunities that are available to them and in 2021 it celebrated two consecutive years of improvement in student attainment and progress. In March 2021 the academy had a very positive Ofsted report, which confirmed that the leadership and the curriculum are strong and measures in place for online learning were very effective.
With provision for young people from 3-18 years of age, Bede Academy in Blyth was one of the first all-through academies in England when it opened its new buildings on two sites in 2009. Within two years, it was raising the aspirations of its students and their families and significantly higher levels of overall standards and academic attainment were being reached. Examination results last year placed the Academy in the top 8% of state-funded schools in England for Progress 8 and for progress in mathematics.
Christ’s College joined ESF in 2019. The Trust has made significant changes to the building and to the leadership of the College. In April 2021, OFSTED recognised that the school was improving at pace. The school is increasingly becoming the school of choice in the local area and for parents looking for a school with an authentic Christian Ethos. The school has a track record of good academic achievement.
Grace College joined ESF in 2019 and is proud to serve the families of central Gateshead and Low Fell. We believe that all young people should experience excellence and be able to achieve their personal best whatever their background or barriers. The OFSTED inspection in 2023 recognised the action leaders were taking to improve the school and Grace College is now a vastly different school from when it was inspected, the school improvement journey is secure and progressing at pace. This is reflected in the strong performance against EBACC measures this summer at GCSE where our average points score for all pupils (3.98%) place us in the top 3% of schools in the Northeast for 4+ and top 7% for 5+. In Basics, 41% of pupils achieved a 5+ in both English and Maths and 60% achieved a 4+ representing the best results in the school’s history. We are determined to go from strength to strength and to ensure that all students flourish.
