Ofsted hat-trick for Deaf Academy
Students and staff will be bouncing back into the second half of the spring term at Exeter Deaf Academy as the specialist education provider is elated to announce it has been rated as ‘Good’ across the board in its recent Ofsted inspections.
In just over an 8-month period, the Deaf Academy’s School, College and Care provision has been inspected and rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted. The third and final inspection to complete Exeter Deaf Academy’s trio of success was conducted in January. Giving only a morning’s notice, a team of two Ofsted inspectors visited the Deaf Academy’s Care provision and conducted a thorough inspection over a three-day period.
Visiting the residential provisions in both School and College over the three days, the inspectors observed boarding routines including many of the extra-curricular activities available to Deaf Academy students, staff interactions and conducted interviews with students, key staff and external stakeholders. In addition, a variety of documents, policies and procedures were also scrutinised by the inspectors.
In their findings, the inspectors praised the cohesion and support delivered by education and care staff commenting that ‘… staff work well together to promote continuity and consistency of care.’ The Deaf Academy’s staff were further commended by external professionals in the report with a social worker highlighting that the Academy’s care provision is ‘excellent’ and that ‘there is a dedicated staff team that focuses on [students’] individual needs.’
Again, the success of the Deaf Academy’s students was at the heart of the report. The inspectors positively described that as a result of excellent staff communication skills, students were encouraged and felt able to express their views and opinions. This, combined with the Academy’s dedicated 24-hour care package, enables Deaf young people to fulfil their potential, ultimately ensuring that students were ‘well-prepared’ for the wider world around them.
In May 2014, Ofsted inspectors commented that the Deaf Academy’s School provision is ‘…firmly on the trajectory towards being outstanding…’ and that through its College provision, ‘…students are encouraged to have high expectations, challenge themselves and develop strong independent living and learning skills…’, sentiments which are echoed in this most recent Care inspection.
Jonathan Farnhill, Exeter Deaf Academy CEO commented, “Being able to declare that the Deaf Academy is officially ‘Good’ is fantastic. The tireless time and effort invested by all Academy staff to ensure the best possible futures for our students is clearly demonstrated in these reports. As we move forward towards a New Deaf Academy, these ratings will help the Academy go from strength to strength.”
Mandi Street, Chair of the Deaf Academy’s Trustees and Governors added, “On behalf of the board, I would like to add that we are thrilled with this final grading for the Deaf Academy. Securing this level of recognition for School, College and now Care is well-deserved for our staff, students, parents and the wider community. Everyone should be rightfully proud of this outcome.”
