Beyond Alternative Provision: How Sackville School enhanced GCSE outcomes with Academy21
Sackville School is a mixed comprehensive school in West Sussex, for students aged 11 to 18. The school’s vision is to provide a safe and inclusive community that enables every student to reach their full potential and develop a love of learning. Believing that every student joins with unique gifts and talents, Sackville is dedicated to offering the highest quality learning experiences so each young person can achieve their very best. With this commitment at its core, Headteacher Jo Meloni asked some of her senior team to explore Academy21, having heard from other headteachers about its success in their schools.
"We had used other online tutoring interventions before this with limited success. Academy21 offered something different, and I had heard of how successful it had been from other Headteachers." — J Meloni, Headteacher
Like many schools, Sackville wanted to offer more personalised support, especially for learners sitting just below key GCSE grade boundaries. We spoke to Kate Barnes, Assistant Headteacher, to explore how the school implemented Academy21 in a flexible, targeted way to boost outcomes in English and maths—with powerful results.
The challenge
Like many schools across the country, Sackville faced the ongoing challenge of supporting a wide range of students ahead of their GCSEs—particularly those working at the crucial Grade 3–4 boundary, as well as learners with the ability to push into Grades 7–9.
The school needed a flexible, high-quality intervention that would:
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Support different attainment groups effectively
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Fit around the full school timetable
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Reduce staff workload
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Offer engaging, meaningful support for students who may be harder to reach
The solution: A tailored GCSE Booster programme
Having seen the success of Academy21 in other settings, Kate recognised that it could be used in a new way – not just as an alternative provision, but as a powerful tool to enhance in-school strategies. Sackville designed a bespoke GCSE booster model using Academy21’s live online lessons to run targeted after-school sessions in English and maths. Two distinct cohorts were created:
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Students working towards a Grade 4, requiring structured support ahead of mock exams.
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Students already working securely at Grade 4–5, with the potential to push higher.
Running sessions after school allowed the school to provide intervention without sacrificing curriculum time, while keeping students onsite to ensure consistency and engagement.
“We’ve used Academy21 creatively, as short-term intervention with a real focus on outcomes,” explained Kate. “The quality of the teaching, the data we can access, and the ease of setup have made it a seamless process.”
Stronger engagement from hard-to-reach students
Sackville saw a notable uplift in engagement, particularly among students who had previously been harder to reach – including those with attendance concerns or low-level behavioural challenges. “Some students were disappointed their sessions were ending, and that speaks volumes,” said Kate. “One even asked to do the other subject next term!”
Subject teachers also reported visible improvements in students’ confidence and classroom performance. One learner, once hesitant to contribute, began engaging more actively, developing stronger written work and more structured, evidence-based responses. “He’s just more articulate, more willing to share ideas, and his answers have more structure,” added Kate. “The shift in confidence has been huge.”
Simplified progress monitoring
One of the standout benefits for Sackville School has been the ease of monitoring student progress through the Academy21 Mentor Portal—a secure, intuitive platform offering real-time insights into attendance, engagement, and academic progress.
“As a senior leader, not having to take registers or chase up data is a huge time-saver,” said Kate. “The platform does it all, and it’s simple to use.”
Instant access to reliable data has not only reduced the administrative burden but also empowered staff to act quickly. If engagement dips, the team can intervene immediately, with Academy21’s responsive support available to adapt teaching approaches as needed. For Sackville, this has meant greater oversight, more effective interventions, and renewed confidence that every student is being supported appropriately.
Looking ahead: Building on success
Following the success of this year’s cohorts, Sackville School is preparing to extend its partnership with Academy21. New English and maths groups are set to launch in January, and the school is exploring expanding provision into Key Stage 3, particularly to address post-pandemic learning gaps in literacy and numeracy. “We’re still feeling the effects of Covid-19, especially in younger years,” Kate explained. “There’s definitely scope to use Academy21 more widely to support those students.”
A model for the future
For schools like Sackville, thinking creatively and making the most of existing tools has driven real, measurable impact: stronger student engagement, improved attainment, and reduced pressure on staff. Their experience highlights the potential when online provision is embraced not simply as an alternative, but as a strategic extension of the mainstream curriculum – supporting and enhancing in-school strategies to deliver lasting success. At Academy21, we’re proud to work alongside schools like Sackville, who share our belief that every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive.
Explore our GCSE Booster programme
Written by
Academy21
Posted on
14/11/2025
Updated on
14/11/2025
Location
South of EnglandType
Schools
