2 'stuck' Tyneside schools targeted by Government for improvement as part of national programme to raise attainment
Two Tyneside schools have been targeted by the Government to help drive up standards and to improve performance.
Heworth Grange School and Mary Astell Academy are two of 23 North East schools being targeted as part of the regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) programme.
Schools targeted for the programme are those identified through Ofsted inspections as having consecutive below Good overall Ofsted judgements and are considered ‘stuck schools’ that “could benefit from targeted support”.
Under the new Ofsted framework, ‘stuck schools’ also includes schools that have been judged as needing attention in leadership and governance and their previous overall Ofsted judgement was below Good.
Heworth Grange School was judged by Ofsted as requiring improvement in all areas following an inspection in April 2022.
Inspectors returned for a monitoring visit in November 2024 where improvements were identified - particularly in pupils’ personal development which was judged as good - but the school still remained as requiring improvement for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management.
Heworth Grange’s most recent Progress 8 score of -0.86 indicates pupils at the school made ‘well below average’ progress compared to pupils of similar pre-assessed ability nationally.
Mary Astell Academy is a pupil referral unit looks to help “young people to thrive in a mainstream educational setting but where that cannot happen we will provide a safe space for them in one of our schools, until they are ready to return or move on”.
The Academy was judged as requiring improvement following an Ofsted inspection in June 2022.
Following an inspection under the new framework in September 2024 Mary Astell Academy was given a report card of requires improvement for quality of education and behaviour and attitudes but was deemed by Ofsted to be good for personal development and leadership and management.
Both schools will now benefit from guidance from a team of 65 advisers “selected as the best of the best in driving school standards”.
The schools will also have access to the RISE website, designed to “signpost schools to tools and resources that support improvement”.
The targeted North East schools are part of over 350 nationally highlighted for improvement as part of the RISE programme with almost 100,000 pupils identified as being in ‘stuck schools’.
Education Minister, Georgia Gould, said: "Every child deserves a brilliant education – but for too long, stuck schools have been left to struggle alone, sacrificing the opportunities of the next generation.
“This government’s RISE teams are now jump-starting school improvement in all corners of the country, improving attendance, behaviour and learning for over 17,000 children in the North East alone.
“It is great to see the success the teams are having so far, driving high and rising standards as part of our Plan for Change, so that every child can succeed, regardless of their background.”