Welcome back to the new school year!
The Academy is now in its 5th year and the foundations we have put into getting the curriculum and teaching right are bearing fruit. It has been great to see the children and students back – the noise and vibrancy that comes with them really brings the building to life! Results are as good as last year’s record and in some respects even better. This summer two thirds of Year 11 gained a grade C or better in English and nearly two thirds gained a grade C or better in Maths. I am sure you will agree that it is critical that young people leave school with the qualifications necessary to mark their way in the world. Both of these outcomes are better than Maths and English outcomes nationally! Not having the Academy ready for full occupation on September 2nd; and the delayed start, for which I apologise, was frustrating in the extreme, I do not like to let people down, or to be let down but I am sure that it was equally frustrating for parents, children and neighbours too. We are assured that the remaining surfacing works will be completed by the 14th, when the contractors finish the access from Milton Lane, the car park surfaces and any remaining paved areas. As I am sure you will be aware we have now formally left E-ACT and joined with the Kingsbridge Academy Trust. This new trust includes the 4 primary schools that make up the Our School Federation, Kingsbridge Community College, and Dartmouth Academy. The name of the trust will change following a consultation exercise across the schools’ communities. The aims of the trust are very simple, and easy for us to fully subscribe to; to deliver outstanding education across its schools. The close proximity of the 6 schools allows for real and effective cooperative working, accelerating the pace at which standards can be raised. We have seen huge changes in the past 12 months and I, for one, look forward to seeing these bring further sustained improvements to Dartmouth Academy children and students and to all students and children in the new Trust. Nick Hindmarsh, Principal
