Hethersett Academy, previously known as Hethersett High School and Science College, is a coeducational secondary school, part of the

Inspiration Trust Inspiration Trust is a multi-academy trust of academies and free schools in East Anglia, England. The trust was founded by Theodore Agnew, Baron Agnew of Oulton as the East Norfolk Academy Trust in 2012, changing its name to the Inspiration Tru ...

, located in the village of

Hethersett Hethersett is a large village and electoral ward in the county of Norfolk, England, about south-west of Norwich. It covers an area of and had a population of 5,441 in 2,321 households at the 2001 census, increasing to 5,691 at the 2011 ce ...

in the English county of

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nort ...

. It has around 1,200 pupils aged 11–16.

Description

When it visited in 2016, Ofsted found that Hethersett Academy was an 'Outstanding' 11-16 secondary school, which was a remarkable achievement as its predecessor school, Hethersett High School and Science College, had been judged inadequate following an inspection in March 2013, requiring it to become an

academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...

. The academy opened in November 2013 under the sponsorship of the

and the principal, Gareth Stevens, was installed. Most pupils are 'White British', with a smaller than average proportion coming from minority ethnic backgrounds. A smaller than average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language, or are in care or receiving

free school meal A school meal or school lunch (also known as hot lunch, a school dinner, or school breakfast) is a meal provided to students and sometimes teachers at a school, typically in the middle or beginning of the school day. Countries around the world ...

s. In March 2013 Hethersett High School and Science College had been put in

special measures Special measures is a status applied by regulators of public services in Britain to providers who fall short of acceptable standards. In education (England and Wales) Ofsted, the schools inspection agency for England and some British Overseas Te ...

. It was one of 28 Norfolk schools targeted by Ofsted in a bid to discover why so many were failing to deliver good outcomes for their pupils. The visiting inspectors said "Students’ achievement was not good enough, leaders and management had failed to spot youngsters’ underachievement quickly enough and the quality of teaching was inconsistent and often did not challenge pupils enough. The decline in the quality of education provided by the school indicates that capacity for improvement is inadequate." It also acknowledged that students were well cared for and felt safe at school and attendance was above average. Parents, however, were positive about the school's work. On 2 December 2014 there were still concerns about the behaviour of the pupils, and Ofsted did a monitoring visit. They advised management to put more emphasis on low-level disruption in lessons being covered by temporary supply staff, praised them for the new system of compulsory after school sessions- saying these worked when they had been well planned and fostered discontent when they were unstructured. Since being sponsored by the Inspiration Trust, the school has improved significantly in many areas including leadership, pupil behaviour and exam results.

References

External links

School prospectus
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hethersett Academy Secondary schools in Norfolk Academies in Norfolk Inspiration Trust Hethersett