The Morley Academy: Ofsted celebrates 'exceptional' Leeds school in first inspection for 11 years
Ofsted inspectors have celebrated the “exceptional” work of a south Leeds Academy.
The Morley Academy, located on Fountain Street, Morley, was rated Outstanding in all four inspected categories - quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.
It was the school’s first Ofsted inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 for 11 years, when it was rated Outstanding overall in May 2013.
The education watchdog said: “Pupils attending The Morley Academy benefit from an outstanding quality of education. The school’s motto of ‘exceptional, every day’ is lived and breathed by everyone in the community.
“The school’s broad, challenging curriculum is taught by expert teachers. Pupils’ attitudes towards their learning are excellent. Pupils achieve especially well across all subjects. Pupils’ performance in external tests and assessments is impressive.”
Pupils are “exceptionally proud” to attend school and attend regularly. Bullying is described as “rare” with any identified cases being “dealt with swiftly.”
The ambition seen in the school’s “rich and challenging” curriculum extends to all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
Inspectors added: “Subject leaders have crafted interesting and well-sequenced schemes of learning. Lessons are rich in vocabulary and full of opportunities designed to help pupils recall and retain existing and new learning.
“The needs of pupils with SEND are well known by staff. Leaders liaise closely with these pupils, and their families, to ensure that any barriers to learning and engagement are overcome.”
In lessons, pupils’ work is of a “consistently high quality” across all subjects and their understanding of what they have been taught is “impressive”.
Leaders from the school, and from the Gorse Academies Trust, are “rightly proud of the school.”