North Devon school praised for strong community values

The Ilfracombe Academy has received high praise for its strong community spirit and exceptional Religious Education (RE) curriculum following a recent Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS).

The SIAMS inspection highlighted the academy’s Christian vision, "Learning together for Life in All Its Fullness," which is central to the school’s ethos. 

According to the report, this vision encourages pupils to dream big, take responsibility, and show kindness. 

The report also commended the school for fostering a culture of care, dignity, hope, and resilience, with pupils aspiring to be the best versions of themselves. The inspector commented: “Pupils aspire to be the best versions of themselves; fully rounded human beings. They grow to want the best for others as well as themselves. The school works hard to support this, building a strong culture of care, dignity, hope, and resilience.”

The inspector also praised the school’s community spirit, stating, “The sense of community is powerful. Living well together is seen as an aspect of spirituality,” and that “good relationships matter because people matter, even when issues are challenging.”

Another strength identified in the report was the school’s SEND provision, with the inspector noting that “support for pupils with SEND is well-judged, and expectations of all are high.” The Athena Learning Trust, which the academy is part of, was also credited with significantly improving staff well-being and empowering teachers to achieve the school’s vision.

The school’s collective worship was described as “particularly high quality,” with worship “rooting the whole school community in the shared vision.” 

The report also highlighted the exceptional RE provision, with the curriculum described as “a model for what RE should be,” encouraging students to engage in reflective discussions on faith and morality.

Headteacher Mr Steve Rogers expressed his pride in the academy’s achievements, saying:  “As a Church of England school, we remain committed to ensuring that our Christian vision is at the heart of everything we do. I am immensely proud of the dedication and passion of our staff and students and delighted that SIAMS inspectors could see how passionate our staff are in their determination to improve young people’s life chances through education.”

The Ilfracombe Academy, which is rated Good for Personal Development and Sixth Form provision by Ofsted, and say they continue to focus on values such as hope, kindness, courage, integrity, trust, respect, responsibility, and resilience.