We have a side wall! Or at least the start of one and if you travel along the road in Bearpark you can now see what looks like a real building rather than just a structure of one. 

Our school council will be visiting the site soon and will atually get to walk inside the new school- more about that next week. 

We are delighted to share our latest Ofsted report card  with you. 

You will see that there is no overall judgement as the inspection framework now gives individual evaluations for each area of school. We are very pleased to share that our school has been recognised as expected standard in Curriculum & Teaching,  Leadership & Governance,  Personal Development and Well being and strong standard in both Attendance & Behaviour and Inclusion. 

The full report can be read by expanding the embedded document but here are our favourite snippets...

• Pupils enjoy attending school and appreciate the rewards they might receive for doing so. The main factor that makes leaders' work so successful is the high-quality wellbeing and emotional support available to all pupils.

• Pupils understand what is expected of their behaviour and strive to live up to leaders' high expectations. 

• The school environment is calm and purposeful. Pupils display resilience and enthusiasm. They respect one another's opinions and challenge disrespectful attitudes. In lessons, pupils engage well and focus on their learning. They ask meaningful questions.

• Disruption and removal from lessons are increasingly rare. Very few pupils are suspended from school. Pupils who sometimes struggle to regulate their own behaviour benefit from sensitive and highly effective support from staff.

• Staff demonstrate an expert understanding of individual pupils and their specific needs.

• There is a relentless commitment by leaders to enhance the experiences and opportunities provided to pupils...Leaders' work has a very positive impact on pupils throughout the school.

• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the curriculum and how it is taught...Lesson structures and sequences help pupils remember what they have been taught over time.

• A notable strength of the school has been the commitment to improvement priorities. Leaders' dedication to pupils' success has inspired the wider staff body to support this mission. The positive improvement journey of the school is clear to see. Leaders recognise where more remains to be done and are steadfast in their commitment to achieving this as swiftly as possible.

• The school's highly effective pastoral structure ensures that pupils get help that they need when they need it.

• This is a small school with big aspirations for its pupils. Over time, many aspects of school life have improved significantly. These include pupils' attitudes to their studies, rates of attendance and the wider opportunities provided for pupils.

• Pupils behave extremely well in lessons and around the school. If conduct does not meet leaders' high expectations, it is swiftly and effectively dealt with.

• (Pupils)They enjoy coming to school and feel safe. Pupils appreciate that staff know them well. They are confident that they have someone to speak to if something worries them. Pupils rarely experience bullying. If it does take place, staff do their best to resolve it. The school emphasises the importance of being kind and respectful.

• Older pupils are role models for their younger peers.

• The school community is proud of what it has achieved together to date.

The reason we have achieved those secure and strong standards is because we have a staff, community, Academy Council and Trust that are completely dedicated to improving the lives of our young people and we approach every single day as an opportunity to make a difference. Our students are amazing, confident, ambitious and respectful individuals who we know well and care for as though they were our own. Together we have created a great school. 

As the report recognises, we are always looking to improve and had already self identified the same next steps the inspection team which are part of the Academy development plan. 

We would like to thank all parents and carers who shared their views via the Parent survey. We would like to remind you that we still have a vacancy for Parent/Carer Governor and space on our Parent Engagement Group if you would like to share feedback on a more regular basis. 

Our students thoroughly enjoyed World Book Day on Thursday when every year group read a short story across the day with each lesson delivering a chapter. 

Students also competed to guess the masked reader and if they had English on Thursday completed a book challenge. 

Staff surprised students by dressing as literary characters and whilst we know some students would like to dress up, we didn't want to add financial burden to families by asking this of students too. 

All students have a book token and can exchange this for a book. 

Rev up your engines—our Key Stage 3 students just returned from a high-octane adventure at Cummins Inc.! The day kicked off with a hands-on engineering challenge, as students channelled their inner designers to construct intricate, miniature versions of Cummins engines using LEGO. The excitement moved from the assembly line to the racetrack for a pulse-pounding Pinewood Derby, before heading deep into the heart of the facility. To cap it all off, students were treated to an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of the manufacturing plant and shop floor, witnessing first hand the massive scale and cutting-edge technology of real-world engine production. 

A huge thank you to Cummings Inc. and Dr Atwal for organising it. 

Please ensure you have made your appointment for Thursday's progress evening. This is a crucial date to discuss your child's GCSE subjects, their current achievement and if they have a SEND plan, speak to our SENCO and review their support needs. 

If you are unable to attend please contact Mrs Willis via reception to orgaise a convenient time to discuss your child. 

Telephone: 0191 3730336

Email: contact@durhamacademy.org.uk

For the most up to date information about what is going on in our school, please visit our website at:

https://durhamacademy.org.uk