The Department for Education summary of information about the school can be found here.
Successful Collaboration
Denewood Academy is a recovery and transition focused school and therefore spends more time on how well children are experiencing a knowledge-rich curriculum experience with appropriate breadth and balance. Therefore, internal progress measures are unique to the school – but the outcome for the vast majority of Denewood pupils can be judged through the performance of young people leaving key stage four through Unity Academy. Nationally, there is an expectation that young people entering alternative provisions are destined to fail. A 2020 report from the Centre of Social Justice found that only 4 per cent of such young people pass English and maths at GCSE (compared with 64 per cent in a mainstream setting).
This culture of low expectations is a national issue, but not one found locally in our partnership. Seventeen per cent of young people achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and mathematics (compared to 4 per cent nationally). In addition to eight per cent achieving grade 4 or above in GCSE or Level 2 equivalent in five or more subjects, this result will ensure the doors to greater opportunities are open or reopen doors previously shut to this cohort.
We hold firm to a position that the very best way to put ‘pushed-out’ learners back on an age-related progression pathway is to secure a set of qualifications that hold value post-16. Our collective commitment is to secure a recovery for children that avoids rising NEET through high currency qualifications is unwavering. Destinations remain consistently high.