Improvements at Iceni Secondary Academy, in Methwold, near Thetford, are recognised by Ofsted
School leaders are delighted to share ‘positive’ developments at an improving secondary school near Thetford.
Iceni Secondary Academy, in Methwold, was inspected by Ofsted on December 3 and 4.
While the quality of education was found to require improvement, students’ behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management were rated ‘good’.
The school’s previous Ofsted inspection, in 2020, found four out of five areas to require improvement.
A statement from the school and its academy trust, the Academy Transformation Trust, said they were ‘delighted’ to share the positive progress made at the school following its recent Ofsted inspection.
It said: “The inspection acknowledges significant strides forward across the academy, highlighting the hard work and dedication of our staff and students.
“While the inspection report states that the quality of education requires improvement, there are many areas where the academy is excelling, and the positive developments are clear.
“This report is a testament to the strong commitment to continuous improvement within our school community, supported by the Academy Transformation Trust.”
The Ofsted report said the school’s trust had been working with the current leadership to rectify long-term weaknesses ‘with urgency’ after the trust’s actions to improve the school ‘did not have the desired impact’.
The report said: “Where leaders have most focused, such as resetting the culture of behaviour, this has been successful. They have been effective at developing better provision for pupils. The school knows where there is more to do.”
Inspectors recognised the curriculum is now broad and ambitious, the school has raised its expectations for behaviour, and attendance is improving, from a low base.
The report said: “Iceni Secondary Academy is a safe and calm place for learning. Pupils like being here. They benefit from strong relationships with caring and committed staff. Pupils get wide-ranging support for their well-being. They praise how the school has recently improved.”
In other positives, inspectors said behaviour was orderly and purposeful, pupils were keen to learn, and they engaged well with the school’s aspirations and values: ‘aim high, work hard and be kind’.
The statement from the school and trust added: “Under the leadership of principal Richard Rushton and supported by the trust, there is a clear and purposeful drive for improvement.
“The academy has worked diligently to address past challenges and has made substantial progress in providing high-quality teaching and support for pupils.
“Iceni Secondary Academy is committed to building on the strengths identified in this report and addressing areas for further improvement.”
In areas that need work, Ofsted said: pupils with SEND (special educational needs and/or disabilities) do not get the precise support for learning that they need; the school does not use assessment as effectively as it should to address gaps in pupils’ learning from previous weak curriculums; and the school does not engage as well with parents as it could.
Iceni, which has 584 pupils on roll, became an 11-16 school from September 2024. The principal was appointed in September 2023.