The Rodillian Academy is a comprehensive school in Leeds with approximately 1400 pupils aged 11-18. The Academy has been recognised by the DFE as the most rapidly improving school in the North of England in last 6 years at KS4.

The results now place us in the top 0.25% of schools nationally for the value added to young people. 2013 saw a record 72% of our young people achieve 5A*-C including English and Maths. We are also in the top 10% of schools nationally for student performance at A level.

The school is housed in a building with state of the art technologies across all departments.

The academy is a Beacon School for Holocaust education and will host the first CPD event on the 13^th March 2014. Schools from all over the north of England are attending from as far west as St. Helens and as far north as Middlesbrough with a large contingent from the surrounding areas of Leeds and Pontefract.

The lead teacher is Lorraine Platts, Head of History at the academy.

Her experience includes:

• Completion of the IOE two day CPD in Holocaust education, and completion of the associated MA module ‘The Holocaust in the Curriculum’ .
• Completion of Beacon School study visit to Warsaw.
• Completion of the post graduate course on Teaching the Holocaust, the International school of Holocaust studies, Yad Vashem, Israel.

Congratulations to The Rodillian Academy in Wakefield on becoming the third Beacon School to receive the Centre’s prestigious Quality Mark.

The Rodillian Academy has taken the Beacon School brief to establish itself as a dynamic hub within school networks, to be a model of how teaching and learning about the Holocaust can make a major contribution to young peoples’ education.

Lead Teacher, Lorraine Waterson, a talented classroom practitioner and passionate advocate of Holocaust education, has ensured (thanks to SLT support) excellence in teaching and learning about the Holocaust not just at her academy, but across the fast growing Rodillian Multi Academy Trust, including partnering with the Leeds Jewish Free School.

The quality of teaching and learning about the Holocaust at the academy is excellent. Outcomes for learners have significantly benefitted from Beacon School status, as well as their pedagogy, resources and ongoing CPD. It continues to be seen as an area of outstanding practice, expertise and passion, and as a driver for generic quality teaching and learning.

‘The students ‘Rodillian experience’ of Holocaust education is rich, innovative and research informed – its quality is testimony to a passionate lead teacher, supportive SLT and a positive partnership with UCL ensuring quality provision. The Rodillian Academy should be rightly proud of their work to date and are truly deserving of our Quality Mark’.               Nicola Wetherall MBE

Innovative learning at Rodilian:

‘The development of teaching and learning has been hugely impressive, as evidenced by the students’ powerful comments not only on what they have learned but also about the way they have approached this emotionally challenging and complex subject.’                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Paul Salmons, (past) Programme Director

Read the full report here: UCL report Rodillian Academy