A city secondary that was slated by Ofsted just three years ago has won the highest possible accolade in MK.

Sir Herbert Leon academy in Bletchley was inspected by Ofsted in May 2022 and deemed to be inadequate and requiring improvement in all areas.

But by October last year, the school had improved so much that it was rated as ‘Good’ across the board.

And this month came the icing on the cake – when the academy was awarded the title of ‘Secondary School of the Year’ at the Milton Keynes Education Awards.

placeholder image — The school has improved dramatically

The award was open to secondary schools where judges wanted to see “exceptional performance” in the last 12 months, or schools that had “experienced rapid improvement or maintained continued excellence over a longer period.”

The judging panel also wanted evidence of “efforts to develop students that go beyond league tables”.

Any school or individual in Milton Keynes could enter or be put up for nomination for the awards, which also celebrating educational staff teams, from leaders to individuals working with children one to one.

Damian McGeehin, Associate Principal at Sir Herbert Leon said: “This prestigious award is a wonderful celebration and recognition of everything that our school has achieved together over the past year. It reflects the incredible dedication, hard work, and passion of our students, the unwavering commitment of our staff, and the supportive partnership of our parents and carers.

“We are so proud of this collective success and deeply grateful to every member of our school community for helping to make this such a memorable and transformative year for Sir Herbert Leon. This award belongs to all of us - so thank you to everyone involved for your

support”.

Nabila Jiwa, Regional Education Director at Lift Schools said: “Congratulations... This is a brilliant achievement and fantastic news after a really amazing year at the school. Alongside the ‘Good’ Ofsted report, we are truly on the way to making this school the school of choice in the area.”

The judging panel said: “Over the past 12 months, the winner of this award has demonstrated phenomenal results and achievements, as well as improving the overall culture and wellbeing that exists across the whole school.”