Kirton’s Thomas Middlecott Academy told it requires improvement, despite receiving praise in latest Ofsted inspection

A village academy has been told it requires improvement – despite receiving praise for forging ‘a new culture of high expectations’.

An Ofsted inspection published this month highlighted the strides Thomas Middlecott Academy had made since its previous visit to the Kirton site.

It also rated the academy’s behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management as good.

However, the report stated the quality of education and overall effectiveness required improvement.

Executive head principal Kimberley Willmot said: “Thank you to all our staff for their consistent hard work and dedication.

“We are all pleased to see that Ofsted agrees that many areas of our school have improved.

“I am looking forward to continuing to drive improvements with the support of staff, pupils and their families.”

The report, published this month following an inspection in March, stated: “Most pupils are happy to attend Thomas Middlecott Academy.

“They are confident that they are safe and know how to stay safe. They appreciate the rapid and effective changes that new leaders have brought about.”

The report added that pupils ‘feel like they belong to a school community’, ‘leaders are aspirational for their pupils’ and have ‘set high academic and behaviour expectations’.

It also said ‘bullying is dealt with swiftly’ and ‘leaders provide a wide range of extra-curricular activities’.

However, the report added that some pupils do not yet learn as well as they should and that ‘this is because some teachers do not always check that pupils have a secure enough understanding of their learning’.

It also stated ‘some girls say that inappropriate language is not always dealt with effectively’.

The Thomas Middlecott Academy – part of the David Ross Educational Trust – was rated ‘requires improvement’ following the previous inspection in 2019 and ‘inadequate’ in 2017.

However, the latest report highlighted changes made to the education centre.

“The executive headteacher (Kim Willmot), along with the senior leadership team, has forged a new culture of high expectations for staff and pupils,” it read.

“In conjunction with the trust, leaders have created an ambitious and challenging curriculum for all pupils.

“Subject leaders have identified the important content that pupils need to learn and how their future learning builds on this.

“Lessons are purposeful and follow a clear structure.”

The report laid out ways in which the academy can improve.

This stated ‘some teachers do not always check that pupils’ understanding of what they have been taught is secure’, ‘some teachers do not always adapt the teaching of the curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils’ and that ‘sometimes teachers do not apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently well.’

Mark Neild, director of secondary education at DRET, said: “I would like to thank the executive principal Kimberley Willmot for her transformational leadership during the past nine months.

“Thomas Middlecott is a superbly warm school with high standards for behaviour and personal development of students.

“Ms Willmot has, with this inspection, delivered the best set of grades the school has ever had and will use this milestone to propel the school forwards.”