Outstanding scores for Northampton school where pupils find 'a new lease on life'

The staff at The CE Academy are celebrating after earning their fourth outstanding rating in a row.

Ofsted poured praise on all eight campuses run by The CE Academy and handed it the highest score available in a new report published last week (April 29).

The school offers an "alternative education" to young people who who have difficulties with traditional schools - and inspectors pointed to how a "typical comment" from parents they spoke to was how their child had a "new lease on life" since joining the school.

The report reads: "Key to the academy’s success are the excellent relationships between pupils and staff.

"From when they start, pupils grow in confidence due to encouragement and positive feedback from staff. The academy’s campuses are bright and well maintained, with pupils’ work prominently displayed and celebrated.

"Pupils also talked movingly about the impact of positive feedback from the school on their self-esteem and family relationships."

There was particular praise for how the school sends frequent "postcards" to parents to keep them up to date on the positive work their children were doing, and how proud pupils were of these messages.

It is the fourth 'outstanding' report in a row for the academy, which looks after over 170 teenagers aged between 11 and 16 across eight campuses.

Headteacher Bobbie Kelly said they were "extremely pleased and proud" of the report.