THE principal of a Runcorn school is celebrating a successful 12 months after Ofsted inspectors said the improvements she made had “underpinned the school’s success”.

Kathryn Evans was appointed as principal of Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy (OBA) at the start of the first national lockdown last year and, together with her leadership team, she has taken effective action to drive improvements and deliver the expected standard of education to its students.

The former vice principal at Ormiston Chadwick Academy in Widnes immediately put plans into place, focusing on the start of the academy’s upward trajectory.

Ofsted inspectors visited the Barnfield Avenue school at the end of February looking at provision for students at home as well as those still in school, examining curriculum plans and reviewing safeguarding procedures.

They also evaluated the effectiveness of support plans for students with special educational needs.

The inspection team noted that “safeguarding is at the forefront of everyone’s minds” and the changes made to the curriculum have been broad and ambitious with staff “supporting students in their studies while ensuring that they receive the care they need”.

Kathryn praised the level of care, support and resilience shown by her staff and students and has experienced first-hand the community spirit that is at the heart of the academy.

She said: “While we acknowledge that there is still a long way to go, there is much to celebrate and we are well underway with our journey.

“We are proud of our achievement so far and know that by continuing to work together we can persist in our rapid drive for improvement.

“Our motto ‘lucere aude’, which means ‘dare to shine, perfectly captures our purpose.

“We want all of our students and staff to be the best that they can be.

“I want to ensure that every child receives the best education and opportunities possible, so that we can continue to develop our community making it a great place to live and work.”

Kathryn added: “We are delighted to have the school fully open again with motivated students who are eager to throw themselves into their learning.

“We look forward to continuing to support our students to ensure they are challenged to learn and achieve so they leave OBA as courageous individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to make sound life choices.”