Ofsted have graded Copley Academy "Good" in every category

Ofsted inspectors visited Copley Academy, located on Huddersfield Road in Stalybridge, on June 11 and 12 before publishing their report today, July 10.

In the report, inspectors begin by describing the school community as "friendly" and report on the "pride of the pupils in their school community". The inspectors also report on the "high level of ambition" of the school for its pupils to succeed, and of the "many improvements" that have been made to the quality of education that it provides.

Principal Ruth Craven, who took up post in June 2020, has led the academy to be upgraded from "Inadequate" to "Requires improvement" in an inspection in 2022 and now to the new judgement that it is a "Good" school.

She said: "I am absolutely thrilled that we have received the "Good" grading and report from Ofsted. I would like to thank all involved in our journey to "Good". It is a massive accolade of the improvements we have made, and I am really proud of all of our achievements.

"As a committed and dedicated team, we endeavour to continue improving the provision at Copley Academy in our journey to "Outstanding", and we are relentless in always striving to provide an exceptional education for students."

The report highlights the many improvements that have been made at the Academy since its last graded inspection. The inspectors report that the behaviour and attitudes of pupils are good, highlighting:

"Pupils know how they are expected to behave. They move around corridors calmly and respect the school’s one-way system. In lessons, they listen carefully to their teachers and to each other.”

"Typically, pupils behave well. The school has established clear routines that are understood by pupils and staff. Pupils enjoy socialising with each other at break times and at lunch times.”

Inspectors included in the report that the school provides a "wide range of opportunities" to promote pupils’ personal development.

The report also praises the Copley Careers Program and the school's achievement of the Careers Mark, noting that pupils receive age-appropriate careers and further education advice. The school said it aims to raise pupils’ expectations of what they can achieve in the future through visits to universities and a wide range of workplaces.

Copley Academy is a part of the Tameside-based Great Academies Education Trust. The report states that in recent years the academy has benefitted from the support of the trust and that the pace of improvement at the academy has increased, reporting:

"The trust has supported the work of the school financially, and through the appointment of additional staff into various positions. This has strengthened the school’s capacity for further improvement."

Brendan Loughran, CEO of Great Academies Education Trust, said: "This Ofsted judgement is well-deserved for Ruth, and the wider Copley Academy community. It is a great example of an academy school thriving in a Multi-Academy Trust, where we can draw on our expertise and resources to rapidly secure school improvement."

He added:  "When I was appointed to the CEO position in 2019, the trust’s four-schools were graded as one good, one requires improvement and two inadequate. Five years later, three schools are now graded "Good" and the remaining one previously judged as requiring improvement is well on its way to securing the improved grading. This confirms Great Academies Education Trust’s status as a strong trust with both the capability and capacity to improve schools."