Welcome to the new website for Bishop Young C of E Academy, part of Abbey Multi Academy Trust. We hope to use this website as one element of communication in our drive to fulfil our mission to ‘To work in Partnership to educate, nurture and empower’. As our website develops, we hope that you will discover the ways in which Bishop Young C of E Academy supports students to stretch them academically; supports them pastorally and, helps them develop the skills necessary to be participating adults in an ever changing world. We continually strive for excellence so that we prepare students not only for success whilst students at this Academy but sustain them for life after school.

We have high expectations of all our students and aim to equip them with the knowledge, skills and self-confidence they need to progress and achieve success. We want them to develop a life-long love of learning where they are motivated and stimulated by the world around them so that they can have a positive impact on their own life and the lives of others.

Our students flourish in an environment which is welcoming, caring, calm, disciplined, inspiring and purposeful. The greatest strength of the Academy is our focus on quality teaching and learning and our commitment to the learner, which enables progress and achievement at all levels. This is supported by a newly developed pastoral team and system where support and high expectations are rooted in mutually respectful relationships. Our dedicated and forward- thinking staff focus on our culture of challenging and inspiring students, in an environment of mutual respect where each child is recognised as unique and special.

We work as active partners with primary and secondary schools, both formally, as part of a developing Multi Academy Trust and informally, collaborating with partners as diverse as local universities; social enterprises; local and national businesses; the Diocese; international schools; and, of course, our local community. Our aim is to ensure that we enhance opportunities and experiences for all our students.

We welcome you to explore our website or visit the academy where you can learn more about our aim to work in partnership to educate, nurture and empower.

Helen Pratten & Catherine Garrett

Co-Chief Executive Officers

At Bishop Young Academy it is our fundamental belief that all children have an entitlement to high-quality education and we are committed to providing excellent teaching and learning, pastoral care and additional opportunities for our students to enable them to flourish academically, socially, spiritually and emotionally in a supportive and caring environment.

Bishop Young is a welcoming, caring, calm, disciplined, inspiring and purposeful environment.  One of the greatest strengths of the academy is our focus on quality teaching and we are committed to ensuring that all our students achieve excellent results.

We have high expectations of all of our students and aim to equip them with the knowledge, skills and self-confidence they need to achieve life-long success.  Our dedicated and forward-thinking staff focus on our culture of challenging and inspiring students, in an environment of mutual respect where each child is recognised as unique and special.  Our teachers put a great deal of emphasis on challenging students at all levels in order to stretch them and provide them with individualised, personal support to enable them to reach their full potential.

Many of our students have tremendous latent abilities and we are passionate about ensuring that we nurture and empower them to reach their full potential. At Bishop Young we have provided young people and their families with a therapeutic, nurturing, and academically rigorous learning environment. We have established an outstanding pastoral team which includes Counsellors, Family Support Workers, and an SEMH and Wellbeing Lead, who will work alongside Heads of Year to ensure that individual student needs are met.  Our students thrive as a result of our innovative and forward thinking approach to therapeutic support, particularly around social, emotional and mental health. This was recognised in 2020 when we became one of the first schools in the country to achieve the Carnegie Mental Health Award at Gold standard.

Through a bespoke and tailored Character Education Programme, “The BISHOP Character”, we are committed to ensuring that our students are given opportunities to develop ‘soft skills’ such as perseverance and integrity, so that they are able to sustain success when they leave us and move on to Higher Education or work.  Timetabled Enrichment lessons and leadership opportunities at all levels, alongside a full and broad range of extra-curricular clubs and societies, ensure that this is the case.

In 2019, the improvements in our GCSE results saw us become one of the most improved schools in the region. More pleasingly, our disadvantaged students and those with special educational needs improved at an even more rapid rate.  This is as a direct result of the stand-out provision in place at Bishop Young to support our most vulnerable learners.

The transformational practice that has taken place at Bishop Young Academy is something that we are really proud of. This has been recognised nationally with features on BBC Breakfast News, Channel 4 News and Times Radio.

We have recently been inspected by Ofsted and, although the report has not yet been published, we are excited about the prospect of sharing it as it will recognise the many strengths of the academy that have been mentioned above.

Paul Cooper

Executive Principal