Twickenham Academy

[mebaasmum]

Hi Has anyone got children who started in year 7 this year. If so what is it like. Does the new system seem to be working??? We are of to look tonight but would like some inside info.

Thsnks

Any update on TA? I know there's a change of head but DD off to secondary in Sept and worried as put TA down as second choice as it seemed good on open day. First choice is Waldegrave. But not convinced we'll get in...

I posted on this thread a few years ago. DS is now in Year 7 and didn't go to TA. If you don't get your first choice I would put your DD on waiting lists for other local schools if you are not happy. Lists moved quickly last year, I know Teddington School and Orleans Park moved way past their original offer distance by July (boys so no idea about Waldegrave). Also Turing House, I have heard only excellent things about this school from year 7 parents and children.

The heads of Waldegrave & Teddington are going to be involved at TA now, so I'd hope you'll see some significant improvements soon.

This is the latest info on the Governance changes OP: twickenhamacademy.org.uk/news/important-update-on-potential-changes-to-the-academy

And you can get some more detail from recent Academy Council minutes: twickenhamacademy.org.uk/about/academy-councils

The school will need to go through some significant changes as its currently got a curriculum bought in from Sweden, which probably will now be replaced with something more mainstream, bringing it into line with other local schools. I do wonder if they might need to reconfigure the new buildings a bit too, as they were purpose-built for the Swedish system with lots of different-sized teaching spaces rather than traditional classrooms.

They're due an Ofsted inspection. Recent minutes from the Learning Schools Trust (who are the outgoing governors) say "Twickenham Academy is expecting a full Ofsted inspection at any moment so the opportunity had been taken to review the whole SEF [School Evaluation Form], and the overall judgement was between RI and Serious Weakness. The single biggest factor being the poor results in 2015."

However, the Local Authority are putting a lot of capital into the new governance arrangements, so they've got their best chance in a long time of pulling things together and improving.

It will also be interesting to see how having Turing House down the road impacts Twickenham Academy. I wouldn't send my dog to TA, to be honest. The school has been failing children for years. Taking it away from the Learning Trust and handing it to the Waldegrave/Tedding Trust is a positive move. But it will be years before those results are seen. The council has wronged all those children they forced through a failing school. It has taken way too long to take action. What a crying shame. I hope the school improves much faster than I expect it to.

Turing looks to be very promising (except for the fact the local Whitton community is up in arms about having a school that is actually for residents of Teddington).