East Point Academy

East Point Academy is an academy sponsored by the Inspiration Trust, located in the Kirkley district of Lowestoft, in the English county of Suffolk. It educates children from ages 11 to 16. In its latest Ofsted inspection in October 2016, the academy overall was rated as "Good".[3] The school is also home to both the Lowestoft Railway and Lowestoft Ladies Hockey Clubs[5] and the KITE Media Centre [6]

East Point Academy (correct as of Oct 2016)
Address
Kirkley Run

Lowestoft
,
Suffolk
,
NR33 0UQ

England
Coordinates52°28′06″N 1°43′42″E
Information
TypeAcademy
Established2011 (1938 as Notley Road School, 1970 as Kirkley Community High School)[1]
Local authoritySuffolk
Department for Education URN137134 Tables
OfstedReports
PrincipalRichard Dolding[2]
GenderCoeducational
Age11 to 16[3][4]
Enrolment547 (as of Oct 2016)[3]
Websitewww.eastpointacademy.org

History

Notley Road School was originally opened on 31 August 1934 and was officially opened once the buildings were complete on 27 July 1938. Boys and girls over the age of 11 were admitted and were taught separately. Notley Road School was renamed the Alderman Woodrow School after John Woodrow the chairman of Lowestoft Education Committee, who implemented progressive educational reforms in Lowestoft. The name of the school changed again to Kirkley Community High School in 1970 until June 2010, being administered by Suffolk County Council since 1974[1][7][8][9] before converting to academy status as East Point Academy for the 2011/12 academic year as part of the Academies Enterprise Trust (AET). The students of this initial academic year received free uniforms for the re-opening[10]

In December 2014, the Norfolk based Inspiration Trust (IT) formally took over the running of the academy and appointed Kevin Blakey as Principal.[11] The main reasons (see 2014 takeover section below) behind this was the failure of the AET to move the academy out of special measures and that the IT were better placed geographically with its Norfolk base to continuously improve the academy, compared to the relative isolation under AET and its other academies.

On 16 October 1987, a great storm hit the area. "A classroom block at Kirkley High School was completely demolished in the destruction".[12]

The school will be refurbished with funding from the government which was secured by the AET before it was taken over by Inspiration Trust [13]

Ofsted

According to the Ofsted inspection in March 2015 (3 months after the IT had acquired the academy) the school leadership was rated as "good" although other criteria "require improvement". Overall the academy has improved from being rated as "Inadequate" to "Requires Improvement".[14] This was upgraded to "Good" in October 2016.[3] As "Good" rated schools are typically inspected every 4 years, the next inspection is due late 2020, however Ofsted reserve the right to visit any educational establishment without any notice at any time for any reason/concern.

In October 2019, the academy received criticism from Ofsted for the "high number of pupils being taken off academy's roll" in Year 11. A suggested reason for this is to "remove low-performing or troublesome students. While it is not unlawful, Ofsted considers the practice unacceptable." The Ofsted report mentions "‘Leaders have good intentions, but they were not analysing their data about inclusion closely enough.’". This means that common reasons for the students leaving was not analysed and thus solutions to prevent pupils leaving the academy could not be formulated to prevent pupils from leaving the academy.[15][16]

2014 Inspiration Trust takeover

After 3 years under the management of the AET, the academy was placed in "special measures" by Ofsted. In July 2014 it was announced that the academy faced a takeover from the Norfolk-based Inspiration Trust, due to the academy making insufficient progress towards moving out of special measures.

A spokesman for the Department for Education (DfE) said: "We have consistently demonstrated that where we find failure we will not hesitate to take action – regardless of the type of school. We are now working closely with AET and the school to ensure pupils’ education is not disrupted." A monitoring inspection in May 2014 pointed to a "steady improvement" in students’ attainment and progress, saying East Point was making "reasonable progress towards the removal of special measures".[17]

Dame Rachel de Souza, the Chief Executive of Inspiration Trust was approached by the DfE about adding the academy to its growing portfolio. The DfE believed that her trust was in a better geographic and cohesive position compared to the AET, with the aim to bring the academy out of special measures quickly. (In July 2014, the next nearest AET sponsored academy to East Point Academy was in Felixstowe, approximately 40–50 miles away[18]) "There’s a geographic logic to the change. We are [East Point Academy is] 10 miles from Great Yarmouth, where we have the primary academy. I think that’s what can make the difference."[19]

In September 2014 the Principal (Neil Powell) and other senior members of staff threatened to quit the Academy if the proposed takeover did materialise. This was mainly due to the disruption it would cause to the ongoing progress towards moving the academy out of special measures.[20]

In December 2014 the Vice Principal of Inspiration Trust sponsored Thetford Academy, Kevin Blakey, replaced Neil Powell as Principal of East Point Academy, when Inspiration Trust completed the takeover.[21] Mr. Powell cited that he will be "staying with the AET"[22] and was installed Principal of the AET sponsored Unity City Academy in Middlesbrough in January 2015.[23][24] Following the Jan 2016 DfE letter complaining about 'unacceptably low standards' and failing to move the academy out of Special Measures,[25] Mr Powell resigned and left UCA in April 2016, returning to East Anglia in September 2016 as headteacher of North Walsham High School, which is administered by the local council and not the AET.[26]

In October 2016, approximately 2 years after the Inspiration Trust acquired the academy, it was rated as "Good" by Ofsted.[27] In addition, for the criteria "Effectiveness of leadership and management", was rated as "Outstanding".[28]

Sporting connections
Logo of Lowestoft Ladies Hockey Club

The academy has many connections with sport. Lowestoft Ladies Hockey Club and Lowestoft Railway Hockey Club both base themselves at the academy. In 2000, the academy (as KHS) became a Sports Specialist school[29] culminating with association football success on 2 May 2008, the school lifted the U16 Royal Air Force Girls’ Cup. They overcame Bridgnorth Endowed School 3-2 at the City of Manchester Stadium.[30]

The girls football success continued in May 2009, winning the U14 Suffolk County Cup, beating Stowmarket High School 2-1. Both Kirkley goals were scored by Hannah Walsh in the final played at Gainsborough Sports Centre in Ipswich.[31]

Gene Simmons' Rock School

In Autumn 2005, the second series of Channel 4's Gene Simmons' Rock School was filmed at the Academy (when it was Kirkley Community High School). Auditions were held, and after much deliberation, 11 students were picked and were subsequently taught the basics of rock music by KISS bassist Gene Simmons. Simmons' eventually selected five of the students to perform as a rock group. The show culminated with the group opening for Judas Priest and Anthrax in front of 2,300 fans in LA.[32][33] The lead singer of the band, Lil' Chris, was signed to RCA records.[34]

Notable alumni
Plaque commemorating the opening of the new music wing by The Darkness in 2004

as Kirkley Community High School

Students

Teachers

Headteachers
  • April 2014-December 2014 - Neil Powell[38]
  • December 2014 - November 2016 - Kevin Blakey
  • November 2016 - Richard Dolding

References
  1. "Collections - Suffolk Archives". www.suffolkarchives.co.uk.
  2. "Welcome from the Principal". East Point Academy. inspirationtrust.org. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  3. https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/files/2612113/urn/137134.pdf%5B%5D
  4. East Point Academy profile, Suffolk County Council. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  5. "Contact - Lowestoft Ladies Hockey Club". www.pitchero.com.
  6. "KITE Media Centre - P J Spillings Ltd". 2 April 2013.
  7. Kirkley High’s academy switch delights headteacher, Lowestoft Journal, 4 March 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  8. New academy in Lowestoft ‘will inspire’, Lowestoft Journal, 11 March 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  9. Green light for Lowestoft academy, Lowestoft Journal, 5 August 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  10. "Free school uniforms at academy". 26 August 2011 – via www.bbc.com.
  11. Boggis, Mark. "New head's vision for Lowestoft academy". Lowestoft Journal.
  12. Hanson, Reece. "'The angels were with me' - Remembering the storm which devastated Lowestoft and Waveney 31 years ago today".
  13. JOE RANDLESOME. "East Point Academy in Lowestoft makes a successful bid for funding". Lowestoft Journal.
  14. http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/files/2464391/urn/137134.pdf%5B%5D
  15. Whymark, Bethany. "Ofsted concerned over high number of pupils being taken off academy's roll". Lowestoft Journal.
  16. https://files.api.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50124161
  17. https://files.api.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/2394973
  18. "Distance between Lowestoft and Felixstowe, route planner, driving distance". ukdistance.com. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  19. Carroll, Anthony. "Warned Lowestoft academy set for takeover". Lowestoft Journal.
  20. Carroll, Anthony. "Lowestoft academy head teacher: I'll quit over school trust row". Lowestoft Journal.
  21. "Latest > New Principal - Inspiration Trust". inspirationtrust.org. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  22. "Parent Newsletter 19th September 2014.pdf". google.com. Archived from the original on 31 December 2014.
  23. Unity City Academy website. "Unity City Academy". unityacademy.org.uk. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  24. Lindsey Sampson (22 January 2015). "New principal for Ormesby Road's Unity City Academy drawn by 'character of pupils'". gazettelive.
  25. "Pre-Warning Notice Letter to the Directors of Unity City Academy Trust" (PDF). DfE. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  26. "North Walsham High School Appoints New Head Teacher". North Walsham High School. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.. See also "Letter from Fr Adam Gaunt – Chair of the Board of Trustees" (PDF). Unity City Academy. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  27. Ofsted Communications Team. [email protected] (15 October 2019). "Find an inspection report and registered childcare". reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  28. [email protected], Ofsted Communications Team. (5 November 2010). "Find an inspection report". reports.ofsted.gov.uk.
  29. Taylor, Ros (30 November 2000). "34 new specialist schools announced". the Guardian.
  30. "English Schools' Football Association (ESFA) - News 2007-2008". www.esfa.co.uk.
  31. "Walsh brace seals Kirkley cup win".
  32. "Programmes - All - Channel 4". Channel 4.
  33. "Rock School". Channel 4.
  34. RCA Label Group (UK) | Lil' Chris Archived 9 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  35. King, Will (31 October 2008). How to Build a Great Business in Tough Times: The King of Shaves story. Headline. ISBN 9780755360420 – via Google Books.
  36. Gods to return to the Waterfront, Lowestoft Journal, 20 June 2008. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  37. "Deary, Terry 1946– - Dictionary definition of Deary, Terry 1946– | Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  38. Boggis, Mark. "Lowestoft academy will become an outstanding school in next few years, vow principal". Lowestoft Journal.
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