Corby school praised by Ofsted inspectors

A Corby school which was twice told it needed to improve has been praised after an inspection by Ofsted.

Corby Business Academy in Gretton Road was graded as ‘requires improvement’ in reports published by the education watchdog in both 2017 and 2019, meaning it is subject to monitoring visits.

And after it was visited last month the school has been praised by inspectors for taking ‘effective action’ in its bid to become a ‘good’ school, with a report published this week.

Delighted principal Simon Underwood said: “The findings of this report are testament to the efforts and hard work of everyone at the academy, as well as the important partnerships and collaboration with our community.

"I am delighted that inspectors have recognised the transformation that has been made at the academy over the last few years, particularly in the high quality of education we provide and in supporting our pupils who need it most.

“I am extremely proud of all the staff and students at our academy and would like to thank governors, trust colleagues and the wider community for their continued support.

"I have already informed student, parents and carers that our ambitions and aspirations do not stop here, we understand our direction of travel and will continue to make further progress.”

In their report, inspectors praised the Brooke Weston Trust academy for its ‘strong moral purpose’.

A report by inspector Chris Davies said: “Senior leaders work with a clear sense of direction to improve the school’s provision.

"There is a strong sense of common purpose founded on the school’s core values of ‘commit, believe and achieve’.”

Inspectors were pleased by improvements made to the consistency and quality of education and said the school had not allowed the pandemic to hinder their improvement over the last two years.

They found that provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in the specialist unit continues to be a strength, adding that leaders had improved the sixth-form provision and maintained a strong culture of safeguarding.

The report added: “There are clear expectations in place for teachers to make sure that pupils receive the correct support that they need in lessons. These expectations are currently being embedded.”