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Lift Ryde

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(Redirected from Ryde Academy)

Lift Ryde
Location
Map
Pell Lane

Ryde
,
Isle of Wight
,
PO33 3LN

England
Information
TypeAcademy
MottoFind your remarkable
Established2011
TrustLift Schools (Formerly Academies Enterprise Trust)
136753 Tables
OfstedReports
Head teacher
Will Doyle
GenderCoeducational
Age11 to 18
Websiteliftryde.org

Lift Ryde, formerly Ryde High School and Ryde Academy, is an academy status secondary school, including sixth form, located in Ryde on the Isle of Wight, England. It has been run by Lift Schools (formerly Academies Enterprise Trust) since 2012.

History

[edit]

Education on the school site began with Ryde High School, which was a 13–18 school built and opened in 1964 to accommodate the expanding population of Ryde, the largest town on the Isle of Wight. The school was successful in achieving a Specialist Languages Status and a Media and Arts Specialism. In 2008 the Isle of Wight education authority decided to abolish the tripartite education system (of First schools, Middle Schools and High Schools) and instead adopt the two stage Primary School and Secondary school model used by the majority of authorities in England.[1] According to the new two stage model Ryde High School would be extended from the 712 pupils of 13–18 age range,[2] and it would become an Academy for 1200 pupils aged 11–18.

Academy chains were invited to bid for the contract to run the new Ryde Academy 11–18 school. The contract was won by Academies Enterprise Trust (AET), which took over Ryde Academy (and also two other schools on the Isle of Wight, Sandown Bay Academy and Weston Academy) in 2012.

In 2014, Ryde Academy was successful in acquiring the site of a local primary school which was closing, and this became the Haylands Sixth Form Centre.[3]

The last headteacher of Ryde High School was Linda McGowan.[4] The first Principal of Ryde Academy was Rob Hoddle[5] who resigned in 2013. He was replaced by the Vice Principal, Debbie Price, who became acting Principal in Nov 2013 until a new principal could be appointed. Dr Rory Fox was appointed as Executive Principal to provide external support to Mrs Price.[6] Eric Jackson took over leadership of the Academy in January 2015,[7] and Joy Ballard was appointed as Principal for September 2015.[8]

In July 2024, Ballard took a step back from the school, leaving Vice Principal Will Doyle to lead the school with assistance from AET.[9] She announced her retirement in September 2024,[10] and Doyle became Principal.[11]

In July 2026, a Teaching Regulation Agency panel found that Ballard had misused school resources for her own benefit, including personal use of a school car, mismanagement of funds, and changing term dates for her convenience. She was banned from teaching in England.[12][13]

Prior to joining the Academies Enterprise Trust Ryde High School had a financial deficit in the region of £1m.[14] but by 2015 the academy had managed to reverse that situation, into a surplus of more than £1m.[15][better source needed]

With Academies Enterprise Trust rebranding as Lift Schools, it was announced that Ryde Academy would be renamed to Lift Ryde from the start of the 2025-26 school term.[16]

Former Ryde High School logo

Academic performance and inspections

[edit]

In 2007, Ryde High School was commended by the Department for Education for its achievements with disadvantaged pupils.[17] In 2010, before Ryde High School became Ryde Academy, it was judged by Ofsted to be providing a "Satisfactory" quality of education.[18] In its first inspection as an Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) school, Ofsted judged that standards were "inadequate".

GCSE results since 2004 have improved as follows:

Date5GCSE (including Eng & Mat)Progress 8 results
200432%[19]n/a
200739%[20]n/a
201041%[21]n/a
201351%n/a[22]
201654%-0.41[23]

In the summer of 2014, Ryde Academy reported improvement in results, with a 200% improvement in the proportion of pupils gaining A/A* grades[24] In the summer of 2015, when AET asked Eric Jackson (from AET's "troubled"[25] Sandown Bay Academy) to lead Ryde Academy, the GCSE results fell to 36% (compared to Carisbrooke College 53% and Priory School 54%).[26]

In 2010 3% of pupils gaining A/A* at A level, and in 2016 it was 50% of pupils.[27]

The school was judged inadequate by Ofsted in 2013, and as requiring improvement in 2014.[28] to "good" in Nov 2016.[29]

Controversies

[edit]

In 2014, there was a crackdown on school uniform which led to an estimated 250 to 300 pupils being removed from lessons and sent home or placed in isolation, due to uniform infringements, including skirt length, shoes and socks, and trousers.[30][31][32][33] This was covered in BBC South Today, The Times, The Telegraph and the Loose Women television show.[34] As a result of the Academy's actions, some parents removed their children from the school.[35] Academies Enterprise Trust said that they supported Ryde Academy.[35]

In the same year, teaching unions at Ryde Academy were challenged for defending poorly-performing teachers.[36]

In January 2015, Ofsted criticised Academies Enterprise Trust for not providing enough support to Ryde Academy.[37] When academic standards at neighbouring Sandown Bay Academy collapsed and Academies Enterprise Trust were unable to improve the school, they announced in 2017 a plan to close Sandown Bay Academy and the transfer of pupils to Ryde Academy.[38] The principal and governors of Ryde said that they had not been consulted about the plan and that they had discovered it from AET's press statements.[39] There were protests across the Isle of Wight about the poor performance of AET.[40]

In October 2024, there was protest about bans on mobile telephones at the school and uniform policies. School staff deleted comments about this on their Facebook page.[41]

Notable former pupils

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ See Education on the Isle of Wight
  2. ↑ "Schools Net information for parents". Schools Net. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  3. ↑ Scotcher, Emily (21 February 2014). "New sixth form centre opens at Ryde Academy". Yoppul. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  4. ↑ Makin, Jenny (15 March 2007). "Secrecy surrounds suspension of headteacher". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  5. ↑ "Rob set to lead new academy". Isle of Wight County Press. 22 May 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "School principal resigns". Isle of Wight County Press. 13 November 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  7. ↑ Barnett, Mike (4 February 2015). "Rory Fox goes. Another Island head to oversee Ryde Academy". On the Wight. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  8. ↑ "Educating Cardiff head Joy Ballard takes over at Ryde Academy". BBC. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  9. ↑ "Headteacher Joy Ballard takes 'step back' from Ryde Academy". Isle of Wight County Press. 25 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  10. ↑ "Renowned head 'retires' as school launches search for new leader". Isle of Wight County Press. 10 September 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  11. ↑ "Our staff". Ryde Academy. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  12. ↑ Lancaster, Curtis (3 July 2026). "Head who changed term dates to go on cruise banned". BBC News. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "Ex-Ryde Academy head loses right to teach after cruise term-date scandal". On the Wight. 3 July 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "Maligned head did much to turn Ryde around". Isle of Wight County Press. 8 January 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  15. ↑ See 2014 Governing Body Annual Budget report
  16. ↑ "Lift Ryde - GOV.UK". get-information-schools.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  17. ↑ List of High Performing Specialist Schools Archived 9 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine DFES Standards Site
  18. ↑ See 2010 OFSTED inspection Report: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/files/2264809/urn/136753
  19. ↑ "Schools Net". Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  20. ↑ "Schools Net". Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  21. ↑ "Schools Net". Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  22. ↑ "GCSE results issued for the Isle of Wight". Isle of Wight Council. Retrieved 5 September 2012. See also "Isle of Wight A-level results released". Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  23. ↑ "Compare School Performance". DfE. Retrieved 17 June 2017. The data on the school website is more optimistic. "GCSE Results 2016". Ryde Academy. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  24. ↑ Nelson, Nat (21 August 2014). "Strong improvements in GCSE results at Ryde Academy". On the Wight. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  25. ↑ "Troubled Sandown Bay Academy school set for merger". BBC. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  26. ↑ "Isle of Wight GCSE results: Breakdown of results (update 6)". OnTheWight.com. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  27. ↑ "A Level Results". Ryde Academy. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  28. ↑ "OFSTED Ryde Academy". OFSTED. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  29. ↑ "OFSTED Ryde Academy". OFSTED. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  30. ↑ Barbieri, Annalisa (26 June 2014). "Ryde Academy: skirts too short? Or headmaster too powerful?". The Week. Retrieved 17 June 2017. See also: "Pupils isolated following uniform crackdown". Island Echo. 17 June 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  31. ↑ Baxter, Holly (19 June 2014). "School uniform policies are bad for all students – but especially girls". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  32. ↑ Barbieri, Annalisa (26 June 2014). "Ryde Academy: skirts too short? Or headmaster too powerful?". The Week. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  33. ↑ "Parents protest against uniform crackdown". Island Echo. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  34. ↑ "Isolation continues for academy students". Island Echo. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  35. 1 2 "Parents remove children from 'prison' school". Island Echo. 18 June 2014.
  36. ↑ "Teachers 'lazy and aggressive' says Ryde Academy head". Isle of Wight County Press. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  37. ↑ "Ryde Academy". OFSTED. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  38. ↑ See Sandown Bay Academy
  39. ↑ Taylor, Haydn (9 June 2017). "Governors' shock over academies merger plan". Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  40. ↑ ""Hand back schools," say Isle of Wight parents". ITV News. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  41. ↑ "PARENTAL UPROAR OVER UNIFORM AND PHONE POLICY CHANGES AT RYDE ACADEMY". Isle of Wight News - Island Echo. 5 September 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  42. ↑ "Joe Hancott: 'I'm Pompey's youngest-ever player - but quit football at 20 after falling out of love with it. I hated it'". The News. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  43. ↑ Viner, Brian (29 April 2013). "Kelly Sotherton: Late starter shifts her sights from chip shops to championships". The Independent. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  44. ↑ Dyer, Oliver (30 May 2025). "Island actress to star as Mitford sister in first leading TV role". Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
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50°43′21″N 1°10′30″W / 50.7225°N 1.1751°W / 50.7225; -1.1751

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