Queen Katharine Academy makes strong progress following Ofsted monitoring visit

Leaders at the academy had already begun implementing changes ahead of an inspection in March 2025, ensuring the academy was well-prepared to respond and act on Ofsted’s findings. Since then, a series of significant changes to the leadership team and school structure have helped drive progress. Mark Taylor, who was appointed as Principal on 30th of June 2025, now leads the new academy as it drives forward its ambitious improvement agenda.

The school also continues to benefit from additional leadership support from TDET, including the ongoing involvement of Executive Principal Rick Carroll and experienced trustees, who provide valuable challenge and guidance to the academy's comprehensive structured improvement plan.

The academy community has embraced a renewed vision and core values: ‘Ambition, Responsibility, and Respect’, which are supported by newly introduced pledges for staff and students. Its Sixth Form continues to be recognised for strong teaching and student engagement. The Ofsted monitoring report also highlighted that pupils report feeling more confident and supported and that classrooms are calmer, internal truancy has significantly reduced, and pupils are more consistently engaged in lessons. Although there are areas for further refinement in behaviour management, the overall culture is improving.

Whilst noting significant progress in many areas, the report also identified some areas that still require consistent implementation, particularly in embedding teaching quality across all classes. Staff remain positive and committed to this steady path of improvement. Importantly, the school is now accurately identifying the needs of students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), providing tailored support that is helping students reintegrate effectively.

Mark Taylor, Principal, said: "We are proud of the significant progress made so far and grateful for the continued support from Thomas Deacon Education Trust. Our staff and students have worked hard to make the academy a place where everyone feels valued, safe, and ready to learn. This visit confirms we are firmly on the right path, and we are determined to keep building on this momentum."

Scott Hudson, TDET Chief Executive, added: "The Trust remains fully committed to supporting this academy through its journey of improvement. The leadership team has made excellent strides in addressing key areas, and we are confident in their ability to sustain progress. It is encouraging to see the positive impact on pupil behaviour, wellbeing, and inclusion."

The report also acknowledges the academy’s strong safeguarding culture, with staff remaining vigilant and effective partnership working in place with local authorities and external agencies to ensure every pupil feels safe and valued.

Recent initiatives such as the introduction of a new ‘learning day’ structure, a linguistics pathway for students with English as an additional language, and increased collaboration with community partners support the school’s transformation. Added to this are positive steps in pupil leadership and reading, where staff and students work together to create a supportive environment.

These developments mark an important turning point for Queen Katharine Academy, setting the stage for continued success for its students.