On Friday 23 January, Headteachers at Croydon’s Forest Academy, West Thornton and Woodside Primary Schools, Greenwich’s Foxfield and Rockliffe Manor Primary Schools, and Medway’s Elaine Primary School, received a letter from the Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, for the outstanding achievements of their disadvantaged pupils at the end of the 2024/25 academic year. 

The letter of congratulations says that their performance “places them among the very best nationally.” 

The Secretary of State’s letter reads, “This success reflects the dedication of your staff and the hard work of your pupils. It shows what can be achieved when ambition and commitment come together….. Your school’s achievement demonstrates what is possible.”

It is further confirmation that Inspire Partnership’s schools are ones within which every child, regardless of their background, receives an excellent education.

Our provision is shaped by our core value: Equity for Everyone. As a Trust, we are deeply committed to ensuring that disadvantage does not define a child’s outcomes. We recognise the complexity of the barriers some pupils face, and we are relentless in our pursuit of identifying and removing those barriers through thoughtful design of school experience, targeted support and high expectations for every learner. 

Melissa Carpenter, Deputy Chief Executive of Inspire Partnership, said, “Equity has to be intentional. It doesn’t happen by accident. Whether we are designing our curriculum, interrogating our data to understand where pupils might be at risk of falling behind, investing our resources or developing our staff, we are constantly asking whether our decisions are making the biggest difference for the children who need it most.

“At the end of last year, we were incredibly proud that collectively 64% of our disadvantaged children met the expected standard for reading, writing and maths, higher than the national average for all children - 62%. We remain committed to our mission to transform lives through collaboration as we continue to strive to further close gaps in achievement.”  

In her letter, the Secretary of State encourages schools receiving this recognition to share effective practice more widely, so that others across the system can benefit. This is very much aligns with Inspire Partnership’s mission to transform the lives of children through partnership and collaboration. A commitment that extends beyond our own schools.

We are already engaged in sharing learning through our involvement in the RISE programme, school-to-school visits and professional development opportunities, and we look for and welcome opportunities to collaborate as we grow our network and new opportunities emerge.  Schools are very welcome to contact us if they would like to join any of our programmes.