A failing school in one of the most disadvantaged parts of England has been turning “at a speed of knots”, inspectors have found.
Richmond Hill Academy in Burmantofts, Leeds, was embroiled in special measures in 2017 after Ofsted raised concerns.
Inspectors said “extraordinary leadership” had brought about transformation and described aspects of the school as “stunning”.
It was praised for helping parents find jobs and providing a food bank.
The academy has 614 students between the ages of three and eleven, speaking 47 different languages.
It has the highest number of students eligible for free school meals of any school in the city and twice the number of students with special educational needs and disabilities as the city average.
The latest State Deprivation Report places the area where the school is in the top 2% of deprived places in England.
Headmistress Anna Mackenzie said when she took over the school in 2018 the school was “not in a good place” and there were “a lot of challenges”.
She said while the most important concern was “what was going on in the classrooms,” it was important to also support families to ensure students thrived.
Parent Kirsty Toulson was able to find employment with the help she received from school, which has improved her mental health.
“It gave me a reason to get up another morning than just my own child. I make my own money and I’ve wanted to do that for a while.”
She added, “It goes way beyond that, not just for the students but for the parents.”
Pupil behavior was described as excellent by Ofsted, with the report noting that the kindness taught in Kindergarten “is only enhanced as pupils move through the school”.
Inspectors described the staff as happy and listened, with one teacher saying, “I leave school happy every day”.
Ms Mackenzie said the turnaround meant the school was no longer one parents wanted to avoid.
“It was really a leap of faith to send their kids here because when they looked for us online it was the previous report they saw.
“But now parents tell us that they would like to move out of the area, but not because they want their children to be able to stay here, which makes us very proud.”
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