Bishop Young Academy: Ofsted praise as Leeds school completes 'broken to brilliant' ratings turnaround

Bishop Young C of E Academy, located on Bishops Way, Seacroft, was rated Good in all four inspected categories – the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.

It completes a remarkable ratings turnaround for the school - previously rated as Inadequate in 2017 and Requires Improvement in 2021.

The education watchdog said: “The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and conduct. The majority of pupils meet these expectations consistently. Lessons are typically free from disruption.

“Pupils recognise the school as an inclusive and accepting environment. One pupil captured this when describing the school as ‘united’.”

The school’s “Bishop character curriculum” helps to promote its Christian ethos. In these lessons, pupils discuss and debate important topics, including the protected characteristics and how to keep safe and healthy.

Described as “richer and more ambitious”, the curriculum better prepares pupils for their future studies.

The school provides staff with high-quality training, including specific training in the subjects they teach. Teachers use their knowledge to deliver effective lessons that support pupils.

The report added: “The school effectively promotes purposeful discussion and use of subject-specific vocabulary through its focus on oracy. Pupils produce work of a high standard.

“The school has effective systems to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).”

Pupils' attendance at school “remains too low”, which limits how well some pupils learn the school’s ambitious curriculum.

The school has reviewed its approach to securing regular attendance. There are “some areas of significant impact”, such as a marked reduction in persistent absenteeism.

The school has effectively targeted its actions to address important priorities. However, the school is “not as effective” at using the available information to evaluate the impact of its work.

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Paul Cooper, the school’s Executive Principal, said: “In the face of all the positives in the report, the comment that we are actually most proud of didn’t actually come from an Ofsted inspector. As the report notes, one of our young people told the inspection team that our school is ‘united’.

“When you consider that it wasn’t a huge length of time ago that the culture of this school was broken, that one word sums up how we have managed to make the changes that we have. We are working together as one.

“Our staff should be praised for how they have embraced every development opportunity and for their tireless dedication. It really is a journey from broken to brilliant - and I am so proud to be part of this community.”

The school joined the Abbey Multi Academy Trust in 2017, prior to which the then National Schools Commissioner ranking Bishop Young as one of the schools causing the most concerns in the country.