The Bishop of Thetford has welcomed the “wonderful news” that a unique Church of England school in Norfolk has been praised in its latest Ofsted inspection for the educational provision it is offering pupils aged between 3 and 16.
Harleston Sancroft Academy, a member of the St Benet’s Multi Academy Trust, received an overall Good rating in the report published this month, with its Early Years phase being labelled Outstanding by the school inspection body.
The school, which is split across two sites located a short distance apart in the market town of Harleston, has blazed a trail since becoming an ‘all through school’ responsible for Nursery, Early Years and Four key stages.
The Rt Revd Ian Bishop, the Bishop of Thetford and Lead Bishop for Education in the Diocese of Norwich, said:
“To have Good and Outstanding results is absolutely wonderful news. Congratulations to the teaching staff, the governors, to everybody associated with the school, but especially to all the pupils who have obviously done an amazing job.”
The report praised the development of an “all-through curriculum that is both broad and ambitious” as part of a culture which has “set high expectations for pupils’ achievement through the curriculum”.
Rob Connelly, Headteacher of Harleston Sancroft Academy, has fully embraced what he describes as a ‘cradle-to-career’ approach in combining primary and secondary phases, which has posed opportunities and challenges in equal measure:
“We as an Academy occupy unique territory in St Benet’s MAT, and nationally, welcoming children and families from Nursery all the way to the conclusion of their Secondary Phase education.
“Ever since we embarked on this journey, we’ve sought new ways in which we can support our school community. We became the first school nationally to embed the Secure Base Model in our practice, utilising research carried out in social care on attachment theory – part of a wider commitment to place the Christian values of community, love and understanding in the daily life of our school.”
In 2018, prior to becoming an all through school in September 2022, the primary and secondary schools in Harleston both joined St Benet’s Multi Academy Trust. Among the 19 academies which form St Benet’s MAT, Harleston Sancroft Academy is the only one which isn’t either a primary or secondary school – meaning there has been no blueprint for Rob Connelly and his team to recreate.
This has required an innovative approach to all aspects of school life and improvement with the ultimate intention of enabling seamless transitions for children and families throughout their educational journey. It has also enabled relationships, referred to by staff and students as the cornerstone of the school’s vision, to be created, nurtured and lived out across the rural market town.
Sam Nixon, CEO of St Benet’s, said:
“We’re delighted that this Ofsted result reflects the hard work and dedication put in by the staff at Sancroft and the support offered by the Trust. Staff, parents and students can be very proud of this outcome.”