The Ilfracombe Academy has been praised for its values-driven community following a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) inspection.
SIAMS inspections focus on the impact of the church school’s Christian vision on pupils and adults. This involves looking at the school’s Christian vision, the provision the school makes because of this vision and how effective this provision is in enabling all pupils to flourish. The resulting SIAMS report is an evaluation of a school’s distinctiveness and effectiveness as a church school.
The report notes, “The belief in fullness of life transforms learning.”
The inspector’s comments about students added: “Pupils aspire to be the best versions of themselves—fully rounded human beings. They grow to want the best for others as well as themselves. The school works hard to support this, building a strong culture of care, dignity, hope, and resilience.”
The SIAMS report highlights the school’s strong community spirit: “The sense of community is powerful. Living well together is seen as an aspect of spirituality.” This shared commitment fosters a nurturing environment where “good relationships matter because people matter, even when issues are challenging.”
It also praises the positive changes that have been made, noting that “ Ilfracombe has been able to establish high standards of behaviour. Pupils feel safe in the calm environment and thrive in the culture of disruption-free learning”. Staff are also particularly proud that the inspector recognised “support for pupils with SEND is well-judged, and expectations of all are high.”
The report also commends the support of the Athena Learning Trust, noting that joining it has empowered the school and “significantly improved staff well-being. Teachers feel supported and able to enjoy their work, which enables them to make the school’s vision a reality in their classrooms and wider community.”
The report affirms that “worship roots the whole school community in the shared vision. Detailed planning, thoughtful resourcing and highly committed chaplaincy make worship particularly high quality”. Collective worship is integral to the daily routine at The Ilfracombe School, including morning staff briefings, student greetings, weekly assemblies, and tutor reflections.
Inspectors praised the “exceptional” Religious Education (RE) provision, describing the school’s curriculum “as a model for what RE should be”. They highlighted how their approach encourages students to engage in informed, reflective discussions on faith and morality.
Steve Rogers, headteacher at The Ilfracombe Academy said: “As a Church of England school, we remain committed to ensuring that our Christian vision is at the heart of everything we do. I am immensely proud of the dedication and passion of our staff and students and delighted that SIAMS inspectors could see how passionate our staff are in their determination to improve young people’s life chances through education.
“I loved that the SIAMS report stated that students at The Ilfracombe Academy ask challenging questions and reject easy answers. A particular feature at our school is that character education is incorporated into RE; this means that learning about life issues is deeper and more challenging.
“Faith, respect and kindness are at the heart of everything we do. As recognised during this inspection, worship is given the highest priority by our leaders because it roots the school’s vision on a daily basis.”