AN ACADEMY Trust with three schools in the Bradford district is celebrating a year to remember.

Leading Learners Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) now boasts four primary schools that are all deemed to be Good by education watchdog, Ofsted.

One of those schools - Reevy Hill Primary, in Bedale Drive, Buttershaw - achieved that rating for the first time in its history.

It was visited by Ofsted back in October 2019 and it received a rating of Good in all but one of the fave main inspection categories.

The report described Reevy Hill as “a caring and welcoming school” where “pupils are happy, smiling and feel safe.”

The inspector also picked out the school’s “Dream, Believe, Achieve” motto as a positive which is embedded into everyday life at the primary.

Yvonne Brown, CEO of Leading Learners, said: “I don’t think anyone in the country can say that this has been the year that we planned for back in the summer of 2019.

“It would be easy, however, to say that the last 12 months have purely been defined by Covid-19.

“ Doing that would be doing a disservice to the progress that our staff and children have made.”

The other two Bradford district-based Leading Learners are situated to the south of the city and in Keighley.

Woodside Academy, in Fenwick Drive, has such a broad and interesting curriculum that pupils struggle to say what their favourite subject is, according to the inspector's report from their Ofsted visit last September.

Meanwhile, Worth Valley Primary, in Bracken Bank Crescent, Keighley, was described as being a school "pupils are rightly proud of" after their visit from the education watchdog in October 2019.

The Trust has one other school under its banner, Tyldesley Primary, which is in Wigan.

It was leaders from that school who first established Leading Learners back in 2016.

Woodside Academy and Reevy Hill Primary joined in that year, after both were rated Requires Improvement just before their coversion to academies.

Worth Valley Primary also became part of the Leading Learners group in 2016, but was rated Requires Improvement in 2014 - its last inspection before joining the trust.

Mrs Brown said: “Out Key Stage 2 children would have also seen further progress this summer.

“Yet, data and Ofsted grades only tell half of the story.

“Culturally, spiritually and socially there have also been some significant things to celebrate.

“Given that many of our schools joined us in difficult situations, we have achieved a great deal.

“Every child, staff member and governor should have a huge amount of pride in how we have come together to support each other.”

The Trust is not resting on its laurels though and is focused on making sure all four schools are "beacons of good practice".

Sam Quigley, Chair of Leading Learners, added: “We are delighted that we have reached the milestone where all our schools are Good.

“That, however, is what this moment is – it is a point on a much longer journey.

“We have huge aspirations to continue to develop and enhance the education so that all our children can continue to progress and start on the path to exciting futures.

“We can’t sit still as a Trust, so we are resetting our expectations for the next phase of our development.

“We want our schools to be beacons of good practice, care and support, so that every child and staff can flourish.

“I really am excited about what the future will bring.”