Thetford Academy rated 'good' in new Ofsted report

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A Norfolk school put into special measures in 2013 has achieved "good" rating in its latest Ofsted inspection.

Managers and governors of Thetford Academy were rated as "outstanding" for tackling previous under-achievement, inspectors said.

From starting points below the national average, students make good progress by the time they leave, the report said.

The school did not get an "outstanding" rating as some disadvantaged students still failed to achieve.

Teaching still needed to improve and the school had a disruptive minority, the report added.

Executive Principal Adrian Ball said: "In 2013 the academy was ranked in the bottom 9% of schools nationally for value added.

"We are now ranked in the top 18% of schools nationally proving that all students, regardless of their prior attainment, make good progress.

"Although the gap in attainment between disadvantaged students and other students is less than that seen across Norfolk and the rest of the country our next challenge is to remove it completely; a challenge that we are ready to accept," he said.

The school has 1,186 pupils with ages from 11 to 18.

Ofsted did not say when the academy would emerge from special measures.

The unannounced inspection at Thetford Academy was carried out on 4-5 December last year.