Tiverton Academy

Tiverton Academy is a primary academy in South Birmingham. Over 80% of our pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and half the pupils speak English as an additional language. There are over thirty ethnic groups and forty two languages are spoken at the school. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is higher than the national average as is those who have Special Educational Needs. Pupil mobility is very high.

When I was appointed as Head Teacher in April 2010, the school had faced many challenges. It had been under threat of closure for some time with falling pupil numbers and a poor reputation in the local community. Expectations of children were low and they were disengaged from their learning. In previous years, the school had missed all government thresholds. The new Senior Leadership Team quickly identified three main priorities: to develop an inspiring and relevant curriculum, improve pupil engagement and behaviour and improve the quality of teaching and learning.