Ofsted
Thistle Hill Academy was inspected by Ofsted between 26th and 27th April 2022.
We are very proud of the significant progress the school has made which is reflected in the uplifting of two further grades since our last inspection – Personal Development and Behaviour and Attitudes. In a climate in post-covid recovery, where many schools are being either downgraded or remaining static, the report is hugely positive and reflects the hard work and dedication of our school community.
The report outlines the quality and success of our education provision for the children in our thirteen mainstream classes. Ofsted were able to observe numerous areas in which the school does well:
“Pupils are happy and proud members of the school. As one pupil said, ‘You feel part of a massive family full of people you can trust and work with’.”
“Children in Reception make a strong start to their school life. They develop positive relationships with adults and are encouraged to develop their language through discussion and questioning.”
“Children enjoy a range of learning activities that are designed to teach them the important knowledge they need to flourish.”
“The indoor and outdoor environment has been carefully matched to the knowledge pupils are intended to learn. It provides a safe and purposeful setting to build a range of different skills.”
“Pupils behave well. They know the rules that keep everyone safe in school and they know the importance of trying their best.”
“Pupils are protected from harm and feel safe.”
Despite the overall judgement of our school remaining at Requires Improvement, I can encourage parents that both the School and The Stour Academy Trust strongly believe that Thistle Hill Academy is a GOOD school and that the Requires Improvement judgement received is not an accurate reflection of the school as a whole. Our belief is so strong that we can confirm to parents that the School submitted an appeal to Ofsted questioning the overall judgment which unfortunately was denied. This explains the delay in the official publication of the report.
We are completely dedicated to providing the absolute best for our children and are immensely proud of the significant progress we have made since our last inspection. We would like to thank our parents for the overwhelming support we received on the Ofsted Parent View Survey and your continued support for this School.
You can read the full report below:
You can also find the latest Ofsted Report here:
