Thornaby Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 February 2026

Thornaby Academy is a rapidly improving school. Pupils are proud to be part of it. Pupils are safe in school. Most pupils attend well. They are happy and they enjoy learning. Bullying does not happen often. If it does, it is addressed quickly and effectively. The school is calm and orderly. There are warm, positive relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils learn about respect and empathy. This is reflected in their behaviour towards one another. There are very few incidents of derogatory language. If pupils hear it, they adopt the school’s ‘no bystanders’ approach and report it to an adult. Older pupils recognise and value the changes that leaders have made. They speak very positively about the many improvements that they have seen during their time at the school. Pupils’ achievement in national tests and assessments has improved significantly in recent years. Pupils talk enthusiastically about this and they aspire to do even better themselves. Pupils enjoy the well-organised way in which they learn. They can explain how this helps them to build their knowledge over time. They like the routines that are common across all lessons. Pupils who face barriers to their learning feel well supported to be able to access the curriculum. Pupils are well prepared for their next steps in education, employment or training and for life in modern Britain. Pupils value the badges that they can achieve through the school’s ‘iAspire’ programme, which encourages them to complete a series of character-building challenges. Most pupils take advantage of the wide range of enrichment opportunities that are available to them. These include cultural trips to the theatre and museums, visits to local faith centres, sign language club, robotics club, and hair and beauty training sessions. Many of the these have been introduced in response to pupils’ interests and requests.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is taught consistently well across all subjects and that this is reflected by further improvements in pupils' achievement.
• Leaders should secure and maintain high levels of attendance over time by further strengthening their work with families and external partners.

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