Sunderland school celebrates good Ofsted judgement after six year journey from being deemed inadequate

Staff and students at Sandhill View Academy are “delighted” to be judged as a good school following their most recent Ofsted inspection
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The report, which judged the school as good in all areas, is the culmination of a journey of improvement after being deemed as inadequate following an inspection six years ago.

After receiving the report, Headteacher Jill Dodd said: “We are absolutely delighted to be officially recognised as a good school. We have faced challenging times over the past 20 months and I would like to thank everyone in our community for their contributions and continued commitment to improving the lives of the children we serve.”

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The report highlighted a “shared sense of purpose” and praised the school for its choice of curriculum and the support and training provided to staff. Inspectors also commended the school for its special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision, with inspectors identifying that “pupils with SEND achieve well because they get the right support” and “all teachers have information and training to adapt the curriculum to individual needs”.

Lead inspector Carl Sugden also highlighted the aspirations of staff and students and the positive culture of learning in the school.

He said: “Leaders have put in a place an ambitious curriculum to challenge pupils and encourage them to aim high.

“Curriculum leaders have organised topics in each subject so that pupils can build on what they already know. Pupils learn effectively in lessons because they enjoy learning and their behaviour is good.”

Sandhill View Academy pupils celebrate being judged as a good school following their latest Ofsted inspection.Sandhill View Academy pupils celebrate being judged as a good school following their latest Ofsted inspection.
Sandhill View Academy pupils celebrate being judged as a good school following their latest Ofsted inspection.
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School leaders were particularly please the report recognised the positive relationships at the school in which “pupils feel safe and secure because the staff know them well and they appreciate the support and help they get from their teachers”.

Chief Executive Officer, Joanne Maw, said: “The pupils, staff and local community of Sandhill View Academy should be incredibly proud.

"To have the quality of provision recognised in such a positive report is an achievement at any time, but to emerge from a pandemic whilst simultaneously maintaining such a tight focus on school improvement is testament to the professionalism and dedication of staff, the hard work of pupils and the excellent support from their families.”

Areas identified by inspectors for improvement include attendance, and consistency in the use of assessment to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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