Glenn Prebble and Simon Cox discuss the school's turnaround

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Transcript

00:00Yeah, so the journey started in 2019.

00:03Swale Academies Trust was asked to work with the school

00:05to take it through from special measures to ensure that it had a good future,

00:10to ensure the children in the area, the local area, had a good quality provision.

00:14We were in special measures just at the start of 2019.

00:18And then, of course, 2020, the school went into the pandemic,

00:22and that was a unique experience for everyone.

00:25We had the challenge of taking the school and evolving the school

00:28whilst we were partially closed.

00:31However, we engaged really, really strongly with our community.

00:33We worked with our community, we worked with the teachers,

00:36we developed our curriculum, and then as we came out towards the end of 2021,

00:42we were able to display to Ofsted at the time that we were coming out of special measures,

00:47which, again, was a really, really positive experience.

00:50Ofsted get quite a bit of bad press, let's be honest,

00:53but we wanted them to come into the school

00:56because we knew that for the last few years the school was in a good position.

01:00So we wanted it to be ratified because we knew we were good.

01:04And the other thing I think they had to mention is with the journey

01:09is that some staff were here right at the start of that journey.

01:12So they've seen it right the way through that, as Mr. Preble said,

01:18that progress throughout that time.

01:19So for those staff that have been here for the whole journey,

01:23it was really quite – it was a relief to have Ofsted come in

01:28and tell them you're good.