Kirkby College is starting the new school year as Outwood Academy Kirkby

Outwood Academy Kirkby, formerly Kirkby College, has officially opened its doors to students as part of Outwood Grange Academies Trust for the first time.

The Tennyson Street-based school was rated as ‘Inadequate’ by Ofsted following an inspection in November 2021 which subsequently led to its transfer to Outwood.

Outwood Academy Kirkby will be led by Mark Golden, who was headteacher at Kirkby College. Mark will work alongside Outwood’s Julie Slater, chief executive principal secondary, and Steve Roberts, lead principal.

Mark said: “I am delighted that on September 1, our school joined the Outwood family. With a proven track record of providing first class education, support for all learners and innovations in teaching and learning, I am confident that joining the trust will bring rapid transformation for our school and that the students and the community of Kirkby will thrive as we begin this exciting new chapter.”

Julie Slater said: “We welcome Kirkby College into the Outwood Family and are looking forward to working with all stakeholders to rapidly improve the school to ensure it delivers a high-quality education for all students which will transform their life chances, putting Outwood Academy Kirkby on the map for all the right reasons.

“The community deserves a school that they can be proud of. We are excited to work with families and primary schools to really make a difference and we welcome the support we have received so far.

"We are embarking on an exciting journey of transformation and we ask all stakeholders to work with us; we have very high expectations and we are fully committed to making a huge difference.”

Steve Roberts said: “I am delighted to welcome the students, staff and community of Kirkby to the Outwood family. Staff have been working hard to prepare for the new year and we are all excited to bring about the rapid transformation to the academy that the students want.

“While improvements in academic outcomes are our priority, we know that there is so much more to being at school in terms of opportunities for enrichment, enhancement and memories to be made. Exciting times lie ahead.”