Isambard Community School has huge potential and will bounce back from its highly critical Ofsted report, according to its new management team.
The quality of teaching at the school, as well as failings in leadership and management, were highlighted in an Ofsted inspection earlier this year.
But a change of leadership from 31 October 2016 - the result of a partnership with Lydiard Park Academy - is expected to turn around the troubled school’s fortunes.
Leadership responsibility has now been taken on by the senior management at Lydiard Park Academy led by Clive Zimmerman, Executive Head of both Isambard Community School and Lydiard Park Academy – with both schools being run as part of the Lydiard Park Academy Multi-Academy trust.
LPA deputy Jon Young has taken over as operational headteacher of Isambard and fellow deputy Gary Pearson who becomes the headteacher of Lydiard Park Academy.
Mr Zimmerman said: “This will allow us to share best practice between both schools.”
Inspectors found that teaching was inconsistent at Isambard.
“Individual teachers were tending to do their own thing rather than working to a common framework,” explained Mr Zimmerman, adding that teaching, planning and assessment would benefit from a more structured approach.
He added that Isambard has huge potential: “The reality is that 58 per cent of pupils at Isambard gained A*-C grades in both English and Mathematics this summer, which is exactly the same as the national average and higher than four other Swindon secondary schools.”
Read the letter announcing the LPA - Isambard partnership
www.isambard.swindon.sch.uk
www.lydiardparkacademy.org.uk
Lydiard Park Academy Multi-Academy Trust senior management team, from left, Gary Pearson, Clive Zimmerman and Jon Young
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