By Gavin Mackintosh-
A secondary school rated as failing by Ofsted seven years ago is celebrating a massive transformation, after reflecting on its success of the past few years.
Cowes Enterprise College, on the Isle of Wight, was placed in special measures by Ofsted in 2o13, due to general poor performance of its students and bad leadership. After the school became an academy and joined Ormiston Academies Trust, it has since undergone a major transformation. Ofsted re-inspected the academy in 2017 and rated it as Good in all areas.
The dramatic turnaround is most clearly demonstrated in the number of students now going to world-leading universities, evidence of the importance of good leadership in the education sector, and every organization.
The school is now led by a team of driven staff, who are very clear in their communication with pupils and parents that only dedicated and serious students are welcome to its premises to study. ”A driven environment where there is respect and the shared values of learning and progress thrives” has been the key to the impressive turn around, one member of staff anonymously told The Eye Of Media.Com. The school has adopted the best practice from the best schools in the Uk, and have seen the rewards”.
A brilliant Mental Health Support Team (MHST) is a newly offering evidenced based interventions in the treatment of mild to moderate mental health conditions, have been effectively addressing any signs of mental health among its pupils, to ensure the highest possible level of mental well being necessary to bring the best in their students.
Only 6 years ago in 2014, associations of staff at Cowes Enterprise College had a vote of ‘no confidence’ in Rebecca Pearce, the Principal of the College, with over 50 staff, including teachers and support staff attended the meeting to express their serious concerns about the leadership of the school that has been plagued with troubles over recent years. A £32m project to build a replacement school in Cowes has paid off , as a new vision and leadership changed the passion and direction of pupils attending the school.
Mental health can be a significant contributor to underachievement in schools, often affecting the passion and commitment children have to making academic progress. Awareness of mental health issues is known to motivate students and parents to address any symptoms as quickly as possible.
This year, of the 80 students in the last year of sixth form at Cowes Enterprise College, just over half (43) have received offers from Russell Group universities. Of those, 1 has secured a place to read Archaeology at Cambridge, another has an offer to read Politics at Oxford, and a third has an offer to read Medicine at Bristol.
The school now has over half of its students going to world-leading Russell Group universities, including Oxbridge, and are expecting to see that trend continue this year, despite the set back of the pandemic.
Last year, when 29 of its 52 Year 13 students received offers from Russell Group universities, with 2 winning places to read Medicine (at St George’s medical school at the University of London and at the University of East Anglia) and 1 securing a spot at Oxford to read History and Politics.
Overall in the last 3 years, students at Cowes Enterprise College have gone on to Selwyn College, Trinity Hall College, Peterhouse College, and Gonville and Caius College (all Cambridge); St Hugh’s College and Merton College (both Oxford); while 6 students have left to read Medicine at leading universities.
Other students have secured places at Loughborough, Imperial College London, King’s College London, University College London, Bath University, Warwick University, Southampton University, Birmingham University, Bristol University, Exeter University, and Leeds University.
Rachel Kitley, who has been Principal of Cowes Enterprise College since 2017, said:
“We are so proud of all our students for their achievements. Those who go to Oxbridge or Russell Group universities make the headlines but we also have students who win highly prized apprenticeships with leading employers or go straight into great jobs.
“Our role as educators is to help our young people do as well as they can, fulfil their potential and be as well-placed as possible to be successful in the next stage of their lives. Our staff have done a fantastic job in helping to make that happen.
“Since the school joined Ormiston Academies Trust, our brilliant staff have instigated a real step-change in our ambitions for our young people, and our students and their parents have really bought into it – they know how good they are, and how good they can be.”
Nick Hudson, Chief Executive of Ormiston Academies Trust, said:
“Rachel and her team have done a superb job over the last four years. They have transformed the school and are creating opportunities which the students are seizing.
“Our mission as a Trust is to make the biggest difference for students, both inside and outside the classroom, and we want to provide a first-class education to all our children and young people, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds. It’s been wonderful to see this enacted at Cowes Enterprise College.”
st Educational Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) to support the mental health and wellbeing of its students.
The Mental Health Support Team (MHST) is a newly established service which offers evidenced based interventions in the treatment of mild to moderate mental health conditions.
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The MHST on the Isle of Wight is a multi-agency collaborative formed of the Isle of Wight Youth Trust, Barnardo’s and the Isle of Wight NHS Trust. They are currently in their pilot year of service development and initially working in only eight schools.
Cowes Enterprise College has always put the mental health and wellbeing of students and staff at the heart of its ethos. By offering this additional service, the academy further strengthens its already supportive safeguarding and inclusion team