Dear Parents/Carers,
You will have seen the recent Ofsted report for SCWA once again judging the academy to be good across the board. The report contains many positive comments that we have enjoyed celebrating with stakeholders. Huge credit should go to our fantastic team of staff who have worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. Naturally, the report also contains some areas for further improvement that we are determined to address so that next time inspectors visit we are in an even better position to achieve an outstanding judgement overall, in the same way that Leigh Academy Blackheath managed in December.
You will know that Mrs Kazmi has led SCWA as Interim Principal this academic year following Mr Barnett’s decision to leave the academy last July after a three year period in charge, including through the Covid pandemic. She is rightly very pleased with the outcome of the recent inspection and is taking effective steps to ensure academic results this summer at GCSE and A Level are impressive. We are exceptionally grateful for the work she has done to ensure strong leadership at SCWA this year.
The Trust, supported by governors, has recently undertaken a selection process to identify a new substantive Principal for SCWA to lead the academy towards its next inspection. Following recent interviews, I am pleased to report that the successful candidate is Mr Joseph Sparks who will take over as Principal of SCWA from June once pupils return after May half-term. Mr Sparks is currently Principal of Bexleyheath Academy and has considerable senior leadership experience in schools across South-East London. His track-record is impressive and we look forward to him leading SCWA on the next phase of its journey towards outstanding status.
Mr Sparks will introduce himself further once he takes up his new post in June. Meanwhile, he sends the following message to parents and carers:
“I am delighted to be taking up the role of Principal at SCWA from June this year, a unique academy which has achieved much already and has huge further potential. There is a talented team of practitioners at SCWA and I look forward to working with the team to ensure that: 1) every student receives an exceptional educational experience in every lesson every day, 2) students receive exceptional pastoral care, 3) students go on to achieve exceptional outcomes and secure high-quality destinations. I look forward to working collaboratively with parents/carers as SCWA continues its journey to outstanding.”
Mrs Kazmi will work closely with Mr Sparks on his induction which will begin shortly and will involve him spending some time at the academy in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth handover. Mrs Kazmi will be leaving SCWA after May half-term once Mr Sparks takes up his post full-time in order to return to her leadership coaching consultancy. Although she has led SCWA for just a short time, Mrs Kazmi has established herself firmly with staff and pupils with her high expectations and caring approach. She has made an excellent contribution to the academy’s development in just a short period of time and will be much missed.
Meanwhile, the opportunity for Mr Sparks to start in June means that he will have several weeks at the end of this academic year to really get to know the academy in order to prepare for September. I am certain he will be prioritising parental engagement to ensure we can work closely together as a community for the benefit of our pupils. As ever, we are very grateful for all of your support.
Yours faithfully,
Simon Beamish
Chief Executive
