Ofsted praises Lodge Park Academy’s remote learning and determination to improve school

Lodge Park Academy in Corby has received high praise from Ofsted following a virtual inspection of their remote learning offer in February. LPA, part of the David Ross Education Trust, was found to have a high-quality of remote learning and was commended for a number of other vast improvements across the school, particularly within the leadership team.

The report cites the Senior Leadership Team’s determination to improve the school and its continued commitment to this goal despite the pandemic. It also suggests that the SLT has ‘created a culture of aspiration for pupils and staff’ and that ‘Pupils are proud of their school.’

The report also states that the online education offered by LPA was ‘well thought-through’ and acknowledges that there was an open flow of communication between the school, parents, and carers if and when any changes were made. It refers to the school’s ‘family first’ approach, which proved popular with staff, parents and pupils alike.

Ofsted also praised the ongoing development of the curriculum, the training in place for curriculum leads to develop skills and confidence, and the range of remote education formats which have been made available to pupils.

The Ofsted inspection took place via a number of virtual meetings with the Senior Leadership Team, school and trust curriculum leaders, the SENCo and members of staff responsible for pastoral support and safeguarding. The inspector also reviewed examples of remote lessons and looked at information about the curriculum and other documentation provided by school leaders. They considered the responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, and the responses to the staff survey. Finally, they reviewed staff and parent responses to school surveys about remote education.

Carly Waterman, Principal of Lodge Park Academy, said:

“We are delighted with the feedback from Ofsted’s virtual inspection. At Lodge Park Academy we work tirelessly to improve our school and the life chances of our students. Despite the challenges of this year, we have continued to grow and develop our curriculum, build a diverse and effective remote learning offer, and make strides in developing ‘LPA Spirit’ and an ethos that students are proud to be part of. We look forward to welcoming Ofsted inspectors back in person in the near future, and to demonstrating in even greater depth just how far we have come as a school.”

Robert Sloan, Executive Principal of Lodge Park Academy, said:

“We are pleased that the progress we are making has been recognised by Ofsted. We are very proud of how we have supported students and families in the last lockdown and we will continue our rapid improvement journey as pupils return to school.”

Stuart Burns, CEO of the David Ross Education Trust, said:

“We are delighted that this fantastic Ofsted report recognises the hard work that goes on behind the scenes at Lodge Park Academy. It is clear that LPA has taken remote learning seriously and provided excellent education over lockdown, and that everything they have done has taken students, staff, and families into consideration. We look forward to having Ofsted back in our schools in the near future.”