A HEREFORD secondary school has been told it is good by an inspector who praised how staff put pupils' wellbeing at the heart of everything they do.

Staff and pupils at The Hereford Academy, in Marlbrook Road, are now celebrating after the school received a good rating after a two-day SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) visit last month.

The inspectors, who visited the school on February 8 and 9, concluded that the school is "moving forwards confidently" and that a "deeply caring family image" is one that is embedded in its ethos.

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They also found that the pupils are thriving through learning opportunities that encourage aspiration and resilience and that the ‘carefully structured’ lessons give confidence to all pupils.

The key findings from the inspection included acknowledgement that the school’s "vision and intrinsic values give rise to pupils and adults full of hope and aspiration", that the "extremely committed leaders put the wellbeing of pupils and adults at the heart of everything they do" and that because of this, "the academy is characterised by mutually strong relationships".

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To improve, inspector Simon Stevens said the school needed to devise an academy-wide definition of spirituality, extend its range of opportunities for pupil leadership in collective worship and also develop understanding of courageous advocacy.

Speaking about the good rating, headteacher Michael Stoppard said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this rating and personally I am most pleased for all the staff who have worked so hard to help the school reach this point.

"I passionately believe the good rating is no more than our school deserves and it’s very satisfying to find that the inspectors recognised this too.

“To read that the school’s vision is so positive and so strong makes me really proud and it’s clear that our partnership with local parish church, and the support provided through it, is having a real impact on the quality of education and cultural learning we offer."

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He added: “It was also pleasing to see that our work in the local community such as helping the local foodbank was singled out, alongside the way we use our endowment fund to help vulnerable pupils and the pioneering work we do to support pupils who identify as LGBTQI+.

“I really couldn’t be prouder of the progress that has been made at the Hereford Academy in recent years and I’d like to thank everyone who has played their part."

Andrew Teale, chief executive officer at the Diocese of Hereford Multi-Academy Trust (DHMAT) said it was fantastic news and richly deserved.

"The hard work done in recent years has not been straightforward, but the commitment and effort put in by the leadership team and all the staff deserved to be rewarded by a good rating," he said.