Ackworth School Meets All Standards in Latest ISI Inspection

Mar 5, 2026 | Ackworth School, Boarding, Drama, Junior School, Latest News, Music, Senior School, Sixth Form

Ackworth School is pleased to share the outcome of its recent Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspection, which confirms that the school is meeting all required standards under the current national framework.

While the ISI no longer awards graded judgements, inspectors undertook a thorough and detailed review of leadership and governance, the quality of education, pastoral care, boarding, safeguarding and students’ wider development. The final report recognises the strength and coherence of Ackworth’s provision across all areas of school life.

Inspectors noted that leaders have established a culture of continuous improvement, with a clear focus on promoting the wellbeing of each pupil. The report highlights that the school’s Quaker values are central to the daily lives of students and staff, shaping a community characterised by mutual respect and inclusivity.

The quality of education is recognised through a well-planned and regularly reviewed curriculum that enables students to expand their knowledge and develop increasingly complex understanding. Inspectors found that students make good progress over time, supported by knowledgeable and enthusiastic teachers, effective assessment processes and strong individual support. The school’s Autism Resource and BRIDGE provision are described as highly effective in enabling students with SEND to access the curriculum and make good progress. Students who speak English as an additional language are also supported effectively to achieve well.

Pastoral care is described as highly effective in promoting pupils’ emotional wellbeing. Inspectors observed strong collaboration between pastoral, safeguarding and specialist staff, ensuring that students feel supported and valued. Students were seen to grow in self-confidence and self-esteem within an environment characterised by respect and inclusivity.

Boarding provision is praised for promoting a culture of collaboration, sharing and mutual support, with a positive impact on boarders’ confidence and independence. The junior and early years settings are recognised as happy and secure learning environments in which children make good progress from their starting points.

Safeguarding is identified as a particular strength. Inspectors report that safeguarding procedures are implemented robustly, that staff understand safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and that safer recruitment procedures are followed meticulously.

Martyn Beer, Head of Ackworth School commented:

“We are very pleased with the outcome of this inspection and the way the inspection team were able to identify and celebrate what makes Ackworth such a unique and wonderful school. What stands out most strongly in the report is the recognition of our Quaker values and the way they shape daily life at Ackworth. Inspectors saw a school community built on respect, reflection and care for one another, alongside a clear commitment to strong academic progress and individual support.

This outcome reflects the dedication of our staff, the engagement of our pupils and the continued support of our families. We are grateful to everyone who contributes to the life of the school.”

Ackworth School is particularly encouraged that the findings reflect its long-standing vision of providing a values-led education that balances academic development with emotional wellbeing and social responsibility. The full ISI inspection report is available to view and download here. You can also read an easy to digest version of the highlights of the report here.

If you are interested in applying for a place at Ackworth School, please contact the admissions team on 01977 233621 or admissions@ackworthschool.com

Ackworth School Wins National Music & Drama Education Award

Feb 16, 2026 | Ackworth School, Boarding, Drama, Music, Senior School, Sixth Form

Ackworth School is celebrating national recognition after being named a winner at the prestigious Music & Drama Education Awards 2026, a leading celebration of excellence and innovation in performing arts education across the UK.

The award recognises the strength and impact of Ackworth’s drama provision, highlighting the creativity, ambition and dedication of both pupils and staff. The Music & Drama Education Awards are judged by respected figures from across the creative and educational sectors, shining a spotlight on schools that demonstrate outstanding commitment to the arts.

In announcing the award, the judges praised Ackworth’s distinctive ethos and high standards:

“The judges liked the school’s integrated approach in balancing students’ needs and development with quality output. They were impressed with the level of internal support for the department and the challenging play choices made for productions.”

This commendation reflects Ackworth School’s belief that drama is about far more than performance alone. Through an ambitious programme of productions and curriculum drama, pupils are encouraged to take creative risks, explore complex themes and develop the confidence, resilience and collaboration skills that will serve them throughout their lives.

Ackworth was shortlisted alongside a strong field of outstanding schools from across the country:

Ackworth School, West Yorkshire
Chiswick School, Chiswick
Guildford High School, Surrey
Hill House International Junior School, London
The Marlborough Science Academy, St Albans
Moreton Hall, Oswestry
Sevenoaks School, Kent
Trinity Catholic School, Nottingham
Wellington School, Somerset

To be recognised among such distinguished company underlines the national standing of Ackworth’s performing arts provision.

As a Steinway School, Ackworth is proud to place creativity at the heart of school life. Its drama success complements a broad and ambitious curriculum, strong academic outcomes and a rich co-curricular programme that enables every pupil to discover and develop their talents.

This latest national award further strengthens Ackworth School’s reputation as a leading independent day and boarding school, where academic excellence and creative opportunity go hand in hand.

You can view the full list of nominees and winners here.

For more information about joining Ackworth School and our range of performing arts opportunities, please contact us on admissions@ackworthschool.com or 01977 233621.

NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE SUCCESS!

May 21, 2024 | Ackworth School, Drama, Senior School, Sixth Form

Six students from Ackworth School have beaten the odds to be offered places in the 2024 intake of the National Youth Theatre.

Congratulations to Adam (L6), Erin (Y11), Eve (Y11), Harvey (Y11), Feli (Y10) and Nina (Y10), who have all been offered places on National Youth Theatre (NYT) courses. All six students have developed their performance skills in academic Drama lessons, LAMDA/Trinity classes and numerous extracurricular performances at Ackworth School.

The NYT holds annual acting auditions and technical theatre interviews around the United Kingdom, receiving an average of over 6,500 applicants. Currently, around 500 places are offered on summer acting and technical courses, which offer participants NYT membership upon completion. Members are then eligible to audition for the company’s productions, which are staged in London’s West End, around the country, and internationally.

There is a long list of performers who started at NYT and are now performing on the global stage – Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Daniel Day-Lewis, Daniel Craig, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matt Smith, Sheridan Smith, just to name a few. NYT alumni include some of the world’s most celebrated performers and award-winning backstage talent working at leading events around the globe and as cultural leaders at leading venues.

14 students from Ackworth auditioned for a place back in March 2024, with students participating in a three hour workshop with a professional actor, before engaging in a one-to-one audition where they had to perform a monologue of their choice. The six students who successfully applied have all been invited to a two-week acting course over the summer, after which they become official members of the company. Thereafter, they have a rich range of opportunities at their fingertips – from play auditions to skill workshops, from masterclasses to theatre, film and TV castings – from their respective points of entry up to the age of 25.

Some of the successful applicants shared their feelings on the experience:

Harvey said, ‘It is a honour to get in to NYT with how difficult the competition is. I am excited to start soon and hope to progress using the course.’

Feli said, ‘When I found out I got into NYT honestly at first I didn’t believe it! I had to double check that it wasn’t a mistake because, from what I’ve been told about it and from what I have researched, to get into NYT is a once in a lifetime opportunity because it opens so many doors in terms of acting. Thousands of people audition and some of them more then once, so to get in first try is just incredible. This is an opportunity not many get and I am forever grateful.’

Nina said, ‘On the day of the National Youth Theatre workshop and auditions I felt excited but nervous as I didn’t know what to expect. As the day went on, I began to enjoy myself and to see that the NYT teacher was fun and friendly. When it was time for the audition, I felt much more confident and I was amazed when I was accepted as part of the NYT. I am very grateful for this amazing opportunity!’

Adam said, ‘Being rewarded the opportunity to be an NYT member means an awful lot to me. I started my journey in drama at Ackworth and have loved every moment of it since. Perhaps naturally, I never thought too much of acting as a “serious” avenue for me to pursue beyond my days at Ackworth given the volatile and harsh nature of its industry. However, earning a place in the NYT feels like I’ve got a foot in the door. I can visualise keeping drama in my life beyond school and I now have a real and professional opportunity to do so. It’s honestly so exciting and I can’t wait to get stuck into all that the NYT has to offer and to take all that I’ve learnt at Ackworth to develop it further.’

Head of Drama, Ali Boucher, said, ‘It is a fantastic result for these students, whose hard work, commitment and passion have been justly rewarded. For one student to beat such odds is a success worthy of huge celebration, as we did last year when OId Scholar Grace became the first Ackworth student to gain membership of the NYT in recent years. But for Ackworth to have six successful applicants this year, for us to build on that success in this way, is just fantastic. I am excited for the future, not just for them but for all of our Drama students at Ackworth. We have a wealth of performance talent across all years – not just those unlucky enough to narrowly miss out, who deserve to try again next year, but also those too young to audition last March. We will absolutely apply to audition again next year, and we will be working with all of our students to enable them to emulate these feats in the years to come, to showcase and deepen their talents, and to show how all areas of Ackworth’s Performance Faculty deliver above and beyond expectations for the young people we teach.’

If you would like to find out more about how Ackworth School can support your child to unlock their full potential, why not book a bespoke visit or contact our admissions team on admissons@ackworthschool.com or 01977 233621.

Ackworth Sixth Form put their filmmaking skills to the test!

Sep 14, 2023 | Ackworth School, Boarding, Drama, Senior School, Sixth Form

Ackworth School Sixth Form students put their filmmaking skills to the test today with the One Day Film School.

In the morning, they learned the essentials:

Film History – from the early days of film to the latest in special effects.

Fight Choreography – analysing James Bond/Indiana Jones fight scenes… and filming their own screen punch.

Camera – learning to use an iPad like a pro, tips and tricks to avoid common mistakes, making a practice 3 Shot Film about a theft.

Screenwriting – discovering 3 key things every good script needs, how to tell a great story, create memorable characters… and make us care.

In the afternoon, pupils took the 10 Shot Challenge: creating a short film (2mins, max) based on a classic narrative (eg. ’Someone is kidnapped, an attempted rescue’) for premiering at the end of the day. Pupils self-allocated a role within their film crew (writer, director, producer, screenwriter, actors).

Most adverts take several months to make, so the challenge of making a successful short film in just ninety minutes can be daunting. However, the groups gelled exceptionally well, showed great leadership and teamwork, and no-one missed the deadline. Their final task was to introduce their film, just like at the Cannes film festival, and give it a poster tagline (eg. ‘In space no-one can hear you scream’). Then it was time for the VIP judges (Anton Maree, Head and Young Film Academy representatives) to take their seats and decide which would win the ultimate prize: the Best Picture Oscar…

The standard was very high, so it was a tough decision… the Best Picture Oscars was awarded to ‘The Rescue Mission’. It told an engaging, entertaining story which was technically superb: the judges were particularly impressed by the excellent performances and high standard of camerawork, editing and sound design. Congratulations to the winning team – hope to see you at the (real) Oscars!

Collecting for Rick Wood’s “Try” – Open Day 2022

Jul 12, 2022 | Ackworth School, Drama

“‘Try’ was really something else; a powerful message and brilliant writing, coupled with the incredible work of Grace and Adam. I would argue that it’s probably some of the best work ever performed on that stage… It was such an important piece to see performed.” (Audience member)

On behalf of Grace, Adam, Ella and myself, I wanted to thank all those people who came to watch our production of Rick Wood’s “Try” on Open Day 2022 at Ackworth School.

We have received so many wonderful comments, rightly praising the extraordinary work of Grace and Adam, as well as Rick Wood’s powerful text. It has all been rather overwhelming! We have been glad for the end of term to help process our feelings about it all. It goes without saying that we are so grateful for your generous response; we are so grateful that people realise how important a play this is. As a teacher, I am particularly grateful to you for showing your appreciation of my students: I am biased, but they are wonderful and dedicated and passionate, and they deserved your acclaim. For all and to all – thank you so much.

We have received a number of requests for us to perform “Try” once more, and we are planning on staging another performance early in the Christmas Term 2022. Entirely typically of the three students, they have agreed to this immediately, despite the fact that reviewing the text, rehearsing and teaching the play will require them being in school and working in the holidays, some time before term starts. Please keep an eye on Ackworth School’s social media for the latest updates: we would love to welcome you back to the Fothergill Theatre, whether you missed it the first time, or if you are back for a second viewing!

It isn’t every day that we receive nigh-on a full house for a theatre production at Ackworth. Grace and Adam’s fantastic performances deserved those numbers, but I would argue that every production we put on does too – goodness knows the effort and commitment and determination of our students, from 1st form right through to Upper Sixth, is the same. Next year, please come to support our students’ endeavours! The first half of the Christmas Term sees, in addition to “Try”, a Sixth Form solo production of Margaret Edson’s “Wit” and a night of spoken word and performance by Sixth Form EPQ students; the second half of term is the School’s Senior Musical, and we are also hoping to showcase the examination work of the school’s many LAMDA Speech and Drama students in an evening’s cabaret. There is so much to see, and so much to celebrate. Please join us!

The very emotional aftermath of “Try” on Open Day meant that I neglected the chance to hold a retiring collection for two very important groups that we wanted to support, and I humbly ask for your support here. The first beneficiary is The Imogen Young Trust Fund, a charity that helps support students at Ackworth access extracurricular music and theatre tuition and experiences.

The second is for the author, Rick Wood, himself. Rick is a writer, performer and ex-Drama Teacher. The first production of “Try”was, like this, a student-drama production. Perhaps this experience is why Rick has been so astonishingly generous, supportive and helpful as we worked on our production of “Try”. When he understood how student-led this production was, not only has Rick waived the performance rights to his play, but he has been on hand to (almost instantly) respond to emails and discuss issues about the play, his experiences and his intentions, particularly with Grace. Particularly in the current, tough climate where Arts and Humanities are under increasing political (and I would go so far as to say existential) pressure, Rick’s kindness and generosity cannot go unacknowledged. It is a tough time to be a writer and theatre practitioner right now; the industry really has taken hits over the last few years. Rick deserves some payment for his work.

To that end, please find a Just Giving link below: please could I ask you to consider giving a donation, of any size, to help support the Imogen Young Trust Fund and Rick Wood. Any sum raised will be shared between the two. We recognise that these are difficult times for us all: if you feel you are able to contribute, we are most grateful for the support you have given.

From all of us, thank you. And I hope to see you back in the theatre in September!

In friendship

Ali Boucher, Head of Drama