Governors day at Oulton Academy
As some of you know, last week we had a ‘Governors day’ where members of the Academy Council spent a full day in the Academy, this was to both hear about and observe all the latest improvements being made but also just a chance to visit and talk to staff and students.
We had a packed agenda, initially spending time with members of the SLT where we had the opportunity to review the latest development in our approach to Teaching for Learning, along with an overview of all the great work going on to ensure we have a strong and comprehensive Inclusion and Support offering – covering both SEND but also the Life curriculum and ever expanding Enrichment programme.
The highlights of the day came from seeing things for ourselves. This included many lesson visits, where it was great to see the things we heard about being put into practice including 'Gold Zone' and the 'Praise Boards', but also just to see the passion and enthusiasm from teachers and children. Thank you to all teachers whose lessons we came into, we know you are all used to it, but it always feel a bit strange just walking into your classrooms mid lesson!
We then had a session with some students from across the year groups. We had a really engaging group who gave us some very good insights about Oulton, along with some suggestions for things that could be improved. It was reassuring to hear from YR 11 students how they have seen positive changes in the Academy over their time and how they are feeling very well supported as they are approaching their GCSEs.
Lastly we had a preview of the new 'Elevate' facility from Ella which looks fantastic, along with a tour of 'Pathways' and 'Haven' where we could see first-hand the fantastic efforts that go into providing a truly inclusive and supportive environment.
Overall, it was a really positive day, the key observation was that Oulton clearly has made huge strides over the last few years. This is evident in far more than simply the recent GCSE results (which of course were fantastic) and is clearly a huge team effort with everyone playing their part to driving these changes and ensuring the ongoing success.
Finally, would just like to thank everyone who made us feel welcome and those directly involved – giving overviews, running the tours, leading the assembly and to everyone who helped organise and of course to the catering team who ensured we didn’t go hungry!
On behalf of the Academy Council,
David Murphy – Chair of the Academy Council
