One of the county’s newest secondary schools has just received its first results from Ofsted — and it has scored highly.
Leigh Academy Rainham, a multi-million-pound school which opened less than three years ago, was rated “outstanding” in three out of four categories and “good” in the fourth.
Inspectors described pupils’ behaviour at the school in Otterham Quay Lane as “exemplary” and the curriculum was praised for being “interesting and ambitious”.
Following its first ever Ofsted inspection it has been rated “good” overall which managers described as a “particularly exceptional accomplishment” for a non-selective school in Medway.
Principal Alex Millward, who has been at the helm from the start, said: ”We are immensely proud of the Ofsted judgement, which is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our exceptional staff, students and wider school community.
“Our vision is to deliver an excellent education that inspires students to achieve their full potential, and this report confirms we are absolutely on the right track.”
Almost all pupils, including those with special educational needs, did well and pastoral support was strong with a high focus on any mental health issues or concerns.
The inspection team made deep dives into English, science, mathematics, modern foreign languages, history and performing arts.
Parents were invited to submit their views and pupils and staff were talked to in confidence.
The report stated: “The school sets out very clear, high expectations of how pupils should conduct themselves during lessons and around school.
“Pupils understand the school’s structured approach well, describing it as firm and fair.
“There is a culture of warm positivity. When staff need to remind pupils about behaviour, it is done with respect and care.”
The education watchdog’s report described lessons as well thought out with links made between different subjects.
For example, when studying Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in English, they are also taught about set design and planning a production.
On improvements needed, inspectors said that a few members of staff should broaden their approach to teaching to benefit a small number of pupils who did not always learn as well across all subjects.
Part of the Leigh Academies Trust, which oversees 31 primary, secondary and special schools in the southeast, the school is the first mixed non-selective comprehensive in Rainham.
It opened in September 2021 with 270 on the roll and now has 627 pupils up to Year 9.
At full capacity, it will provide education for students aged between 11 to 18.
Simon Beamish, chief executive of the trust, said: “The Ofsted rating for Leigh Academy Rainham is a fantastic achievement and reflects our commitment to providing a world-class education for all our students.”
