Kingston Academy, run in partnership with Kingston University, Kingston College and Kingston Council, rated outstanding by Ofsted

Posted Wednesday 25 July 2018

The Kingston Academy has received an outstanding rating in its first inspection by Ofsted. The secondary school, which opened its doors to pupils in September 2015, is run by The Kingston Educational Trust (KET) - a partnership between Kingston University, Kingston College and Kingston Council.

In their report, Ofsted's inspectors highlighted the opportunities the partnership provided for staff and pupils, adding that "leaders have developed innovative and effective partnerships with local further and higher education providers, which benefit the school community". Head teacher Sophie Cavanagh said the success was the result of having a community of great people, especially their fantastic pupils who understand that hard work gets results. "As a growing school, we still have much more to do," she said. "We look forward to an exciting future and to the challenges and opportunities that we will face along the way."

The achievement was richly deserved and an endorsement of the clear vision and ethos of the Kingston Educational Trust, which has been successfully embedded through the commitment and hard work of the head teacher and school staff, according to KET trustee and Head of Access, Participation and Inclusion at Kingston University Jenni Woods. "The University is proud to be a co-sponsor of The Kingston Academy, with the partnership offering pupils the chance to experience STEM discovery days, after-school clubs with our student ambassadors, campus visits and career events to help raise their aspirations and give them a taste of university life," she said.

The school received outstanding grades across all four areas of the Ofsted framework. The rating reflected the contributions of staff from across the University in helping deliver an excellent secondary school for the local area, Vice-Chancellor Professor Steven Spier said. "Kingston University is committed to helping young people of all ages get the very best out of their education, both through its outreach activities and key partnerships such as the Kingston Educational Trust, and regards this as an integral part of its role in enhancing learning right across the borough," he said.

"The expertise of staff from across the University, along with those from Kingston College, has made a significant contribution to delivering an excellent learning experience for The Kingston Academy pupils, ensuring they have the opportunity to flourish and fulfil their potential."