Academy trust told to improve or lose school

A Lincolnshire academy trust has been told to make urgent improvements to one of its secondary schools - or risk having it taken off them.

Ofsted reviewed William Lovell Church of England Academy in Stickney, near Boston, and found attendance and achievement levels required "urgent improvement".

The Department for Education said it may bring another trust in to run the school if the Lincoln Anglican Academy Trust (LAAT) fail to make immediate changes.

A spokesperson said the Sleaford-based trust "is fully committed to securing rapid and sustainable improvement".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the Department for Education's regional director said in a recent letter: "I need to be satisfied that the Trust has capacity to deliver rapid and sustainable improvement at the Academy.

"If I am not satisfied that this can be achieved, I will consider whether to terminate the Academy's funding agreement in order to transfer the Academy to an alternative academy trust."

Following an Ofsted visit in March, it was found the academy needed urgent improvement in two of the six criteria.

The report found that "pupils do not progress well across a range of subjects", with weaker-than-expected outcomes by the end of Key Stage Four.

Attendance is also low, with some pupils described as "persistently absent".

Two other criteria were rated as needs attention - curriculum and teaching and leadership and governance - and a further two - inclusion and personal development and wellbeing - were at expected standards.

The LAAT spokesperson said the trust is focused on "targeted investment in expert staff, strengthened professional development, and a renewed focus on literacy, curriculum quality and consistently high standards of teaching".

They added: "Ofsted itself recognised that leaders have identified the right priorities and are implementing appropriate and effective strategies for improvement, with early signs of positive impact already evident in pupils' work.

"The report clearly acknowledges that improvement activity is under way and that the school is moving in the right direction."

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