School begins Voyage out of special measures with latest report

The Voyager Academy in Mountsteven Avenue had been in special measures since February 2014, but following an inspection last month, Ofsted inspectors have said it can be moved out of the lowest category - however, the report says the school still requires improvement.

Scott Hudson, Principal of the Academy since July 2015 said, “This report notes the progress we have made since the last inspection and we should all – students, staff, parents and governors – take pride in that.

“Coming out of Special Measures is an important milestone and is a testament to the hard work and commitment of all members of the academy.

“However, we fully recognise that we still have a long way to go to ensure we deliver the highest quality of education across all areas of the academy.”

The report says there still needs to be improvements to teaching at the school - just 19 per cent of pupils scored five GCSEs at A*-C including English and maths last year - and some pupils struggled to retain focus at the end of lessons.

However, the school was praised for the quality of education at sixth form, and the new ethos introduced by Mr Hudson, raising staff morale.

Mr Hudson said: “As the report says, we need to further raise standards of teaching and to narrow the gaps in achievement between different pupil groups.

“I am pleased that the report identified that our self-evaluation is precise and accurate.

“We are aware of our strengths and areas for development and will be studying the report’s recommendations and making further changes to address all of the issues it raises, as well as building on the improvements we have already made.”