gRAHAM By the Dart INTERvIEw
TINA pRINCIpAL AT DARTMoUTH ACADEMY
damning Ofsted inspection last September. That was just 20 days after new Principal, Tina Graham, took over. Six months on, she tells our reporter Steph Woolvin the school has turned a corner.
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You took on an academy which was “underperforming”. so you like a challenge? I was head of sixth form at Kingsbridge Community College, and had been working very closely with the Academy here. When the last principal stepped down in August someone who knew and cared about the school had to step in quickly. I knew results weren’t at the level they should be but I strongly believe there’s no reason why students here can’t perform just as well as in any other secondary in the country.
and less than a month in and school inspectors come knocking. That can’t have been easy? no, it wasn’t the best start to the academic year! they spent a long time assessing us and finally the report came out rating the Academy’s performance as “inadequate” – the lowest rating they give out. It was not a shock though - it was a fair and accurate report. things hadn’t improved enough since their last visit in 2013 but they are going to now.
artmouth Academy has faced many challenges over the past few years, culminating in a
What improvements are you introducing? We have changed the curriculum so more time is given to core subjects like english, Maths and science. We are working closer than ever before with the ‘outstanding’ rated Kingsbridge Community College and other schools in Academies south West (the local Multi Academy trust). this means teachers from different schools can team up to observe each others’ lessons, share best practice, and work together on lesson plans.
I have a great team and everyone here
The atmosphere in here is buzzing today, how do you keep things positive? Yes, you aren’t the first person to say that. Lots of visitors say “this doesn’t feel like a school in special measures”. the building is fresh and new, thousands have been spent on it. there are new state of the art facilities, a fully stocked library and a gym, not to mention a canteen with an amazing view. I have a great team and everyone here wants to make this a better place to work and learn.
wants to make this a better place to work and learn.
how do you think your students would describe you? As someone who always talks to them! I do talk a lot. I have little sayings, catchphrases and buzz words. one of the first things I showed them was a video of ‘the flea experiment’. the insects are sealed in a jar for three days, then the jar is opened to reveal
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