Carr Lodge Academy 'likely to be outstanding in a graded inspection' says Ofsted

Exceed Learning Partnership are delighted to announce that following a recent Section 8 Ofsted Inspection, His Majesty’s Inspector and team believe there is enough evidence to suggest that Carr Lodge Academy could be judged as outstanding in every area, if a graded (Section 5) inspection were to be carried out now.

The purpose of a Section 8 inspection is to gauge whether a school continues to be ‘good’ as indicated in our previous report in January 2019 or to ascertain whether there is evidence to suggest a school is either improving further or not, compared to its original grading. It is also worth noting that only 3% of schools are awarded an improving letter where the school could be judged as outstanding in every area. 

Carr Lodge Academy was awarded an improving letter and therefore, the academy's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

Chief Executive, Beryce Nixon OBE, stated, “I am personally thrilled that the hard work undertaken by the staff, pupils and parents at Carr Lodge Academy has been recognised and that the academy is the cornerstone of the local area. The inspection team recognised the excellent work that has been implemented on the curriculum design and acknowledged the impact of reading across all curriculum areas. The report stated ‘Leaders have designed and implemented a curriculum which allows pupils to develop deep knowledge and understanding.’

Principal, Sarah Crampton, said “I am delighted that Ofsted have agreed with our own assessment of Carr Lodge Academy. The report recognises the hard work and high expectations that lead to excellent academic outcomes, alongside the importance of developing the character of our pupils in our caring and supportive community where the wellbeing of both pupils and staff are key. I would like to thank all pupils, staff, parents/carers, Directors and Governors for their ongoing hard work, support and dedication".

The inspection team stated that, ‘teachers have excellent knowledge of the subjects that they teach. Lessons are thought provoking and encourage pupils to think deeply. Pupils enjoy learning and like being challenged. They connect their learning to different topics and revisit prior learning through retrieval tasks at the start of lessons.’ The Inspectors also stated that the behaviour of our pupils at Carr Lodge is exemplary and that all pupils, including pupils with SEND make good progress in all areas of their learning”

Chair of the Local Governing Board, Chris Lambert said “This is a tremendous achievement for Carr Lodge Academy. This result reflects a significant, whole team effort and strong partnership working with the local community. Each member of staff, family and young person has played a central role in ensuring that Carr Lodge continues to provide high quality education. I am immensely proud of everyone”