North Devon School the Most Improved School in England for Progress of Disadvantaged Students

Students and staff at The Ilfracombe Academy, part of Athena Learning Trust, are celebrating as the school is the most improved school in England for the progress of disadvantaged students and the second most improved in England for student progress following the release of ratified key stage 4 (Years 10 and 11) results from August. 

Confirmed GCSE result league tables have been published by the Department for Education which show that The Ilfracombe Academy has also been awarded an above average Progress 8 score.  This means that students at the school achieve up to half a grade higher in each qualification on average, compared to similar students across the country.

Progress 8 is one of the main performance measures for schools, designed to encourage schools to concentrate on improving the performance of all students, rather than those on the ‘borderline’ or those pushing for the very top grades.

The school is now rated 3rd in Devon by the Department for Education for its overall performance at the end of key stage 4 this year.  Students were elated at the school back in the summer when they picked up their GCSE results with the school receiving its best ever set.  A brilliant 59.2% of The Ilfracombe Academy students received a grade 5 or above in English and maths, which is considerably higher than the national average and which places  the school 8th in Devon by this measurement.

The Ilfracombe Academy is also 12th in Devon for its Attainment 8 score, which is the average measure of an individual student's progress across their 8 best performing subjects taken at GCSE level.

Mr Steve Rogers, Headteacher at The Ilfracombe Academy said:

"I am incredibly proud of the achievements of students and staff at The Ilfracombe Academy.  Being recognised as the second most improved school in England for student progress, the most improved school in England for the progress of disadvantaged students and the third in Devon for overall performance at key stage 4 is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion of everyone in our school community.  It's also amazing to see that our SEND students outperformed their non-SEND peers nationally.

“At The Ilfracombe Academy we serve and support our community by providing a child-centred education that reflects Christian values.  We are committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and are dedicated to providing the best possible education for all our students by developing the knowledge, understanding, and skills essential for learning together for life in all its fullness.”