How Kibworth school went from 'inadequate' to award-winning in three years

Kibworth Mead Academy has become one of just a handful of schools nationwide to win the bronze Pearson National Teaching Award for secondary school of the year in recognition of its “outstanding commitment to education and the wider community”.

Judges noted the “impact that staff at the school were having within the local community, through charitable activities and events designed to support mental health”, said a spokesperson for The Mead Educational Trust, of which the Smeeton Road academy is part. They added that the award “comes after a remarkable journey of improvement for Kibworth Mead Academy over the last three years”.

Principal Steve Piggott said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this recognition which reflects the hard work and dedication of the fantastic staff at Kibworth.”

He added: “I want to thank all our staff, students, families, members of our local community and The Mead Educational Trust for their help and support. We are very excited about what the future holds at Kibworth Mead Academy, as we continue on our improvement journey.”

The award follows the school being judged ‘good’ following its most recent Ofsted inspection. In its latest report about the secondary school, which was published last year, inspectors noted that “the school has taken swift action since the previous inspection, which has brought about significant improvements that benefit all its pupils”.

The school’s community activities have included a host of charity events, such as two, whole-school charity walks covering the equivalent distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats. The trust said the initiative raised more than £3,000 for Kibworth-based charity The Well.

The trust added that for the past two Christmases, the school had donated 100 food hampers to vulnerable groups in the local community, and that it had hosted a community-wide mental health event, “designed to give all members of the community support through signposting and practical advice”. Alongside this activity, staff and students at the school have been involved with local tree planting to support community efforts to reduce localised flooding, it added.