A tailored approach to inclusion: How Ursuline Academy Ilford uses Academy21
Ursuline Academy Ilford is a Catholic all-girls secondary school and sixth form in Ilford, East London. Known for its strong academic reputation, the school offers a broad curriculum alongside a focus on personal development, spiritual growth, and service, all rooted in the Ursuline tradition.
As part of its mission, the academy seeks to ensure that every student, regardless of circumstances, has access to quality education and tailored support to help them succeed.
The Challenge
With some of its students facing barriers affecting their learning, the Academy needed extra support to ensure that they could continue receiving a high-quality education while meeting their needs.
That is when Julia Gardiner, Assistant Headteacher at Ursuline Academy Ilford, suggested using Academy21. Having used Academy21 in her previous role, Julia quickly decided to engage our services again.
“We like that there is a lot of rigour and quality assurance in Academy21,” Julia says. She mentioned how Academy21 complying with Ofsted and being a large, established company helped reassure her and the team that it was the right solution.
While Academy21 was a totally new concept at Ursuline, particularly as the two students using it didn’t have an EHCP in place, it was the right solution at the right time. “I was at a critical point where I had students who were really overwhelmed and found the mainstream learning environment incredibly challenging. I didn’t feel like there were options outside the school to meet their needs.” Due to a lack of availability for specialist provisions, Ursuline needed to find a solution within the school.
They set up an inclusion room where students could work and access their laptops, a dedicated quiet space away from the main classrooms. “It’s somewhere where they feel like they belong. They can still be taught their core subjects; and face to face contact is maintained,”
Ursuline adopted a hybrid learning model. Its students still attend mainstream lessons, which are generally option subjects, and then use Academy21 for core subjects via the inclusion room.
For Julia, it’s not just about academic progress but ensuring that her students have the stability and support they need to overcome the challenges the challenges they are facing. When asked about her work supporting these students, she said:
“We are just trying to keep really vulnerable students safe and engaged in education”
Sam’s* Journey (Year 11)
Sam, a Year 11 student, faced mounting challenges in traditional classroom settings. Diagnosed with autism and experiencing severe anxiety, Sam found it increasingly difficult to engage with their education full-time. Their doctor recommended accommodations to their daily routine and environment, such as starting school later and using a different entrance, which Ursuline Academy Ilford promptly implemented.
However, even with these modifications, the stressors of conventional schooling were overwhelming. To meet Sam’s needs and ensure they received a high-quality education without further exacerbating their anxiety, Ursuline Academy Ilford partnered with Academy21.
Sam joined Academy21 in the Spring of 2024, midway through Year 11. They studied the core GCSE subjects via Academy21’s live and adaptive lessons. Although an online environment enables students to join classes and learn from a convenient place—typically their home—Sam joined Academy21 classes from the academy’s inclusion room.
Their hybrid set-up was ideal, enabling Sam to access a more focused and personalised learning environment via Academy21. Although Sam wasn’t attending all their classes with their peers, they could still stay connected with the school community. “At least we were seeing them,” said Julia. “They were socialising with friends at lunchtime, and there were so many benefits to coming in and accessing Academy21 from the inclusion room.”
The differences were immense just half a year after receiving targeted support from Academy21’s experienced teachers and dedicated SEN team. With much lower stress levels, Sam could dedicate themselves entirely to their studies. Their grades soared from U to a 5 – a testament to their hard work, renewed focus, and improved wellbeing.
“I use Academy21 for medium-term plans while I’m trying to get to my long-term plan,” Julia shared. “For Sam, the plan was to get their [GCSE] grades, which they did – Sam got 5 and was taught by purely Academy21 teachers in year 11, so that’s a real success story. They didn’t have to retake maths and English.”
Ursuline Academy Ilford also ensured that Sam felt confident and prepared to tackle the inherent pressure of GCSE exams by arranging a private room and extra time for the exam completion. These changes have transformed Sam’s educational trajectory, and they are now embarking on their next academic milestone attending college.
“Sam is such a success story. They are now at college doing a course they really wanted to do. They also have an EHCP now, and the right level of support at their college placement.”
“They were socialising with friends at lunchtime, and there were so many benefits to coming in and accessing Academy21 from the inclusion room.”
Max’s* Journey (Year 9)
Max had a positive school journey until Year 9, when they began to face new challenges. With undiagnosed autism alongside social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs, Max found it increasingly difficult to stay motivated, and their mainstream learning environment was not fully aligned with their needs.
With no therapeutic placement available, Ursuline Academy Ilford had to search for a temporary yet effective solution to ensure Max continued to access a high-quality British education despite the challenges.
“With Max, I could apply for funding, so I used that for Academy21. I see it as a short-term solution, and it really worked from a funding perspective. They started a week after we got the funding.”
Academy21 provides flexible short- and long-term solutions, fully tailored to meet the needs of individual students and their schools. As an entirely online platform, we can swiftly onboard new students, ensuring they continue learning without disruption. Ursuline Academy Ilford partnered with us to offer Max a high-quality, short-term provision in a safe and supportive environment while awaiting a suitable placement.
Max studies from the inclusion room, where they feel secure and can engage independently. They study at Academy21 in the morning and go home a few times a week during lunchtime to have a break from the long day. Though there are challenging days, they remain connected to their learning and on track academically.
“It’s just been a good way of keeping a child in school, providing them with an education, and being part of a hybrid model,” shares Julia. “They get highly anxious, and this set-up means that we can support them and provide a physical TA to take them to actual lessons, and they can access lessons for core subjects in the inclusion room.”
The right support at the right time
Ursuline Academy Ilford’s partnership with Academy21 demonstrates how high-quality, DfE-accredited provision, expert support, and the right tools can be what students need when facing challenges outside of school.
Julia found the organisation and administration of Academy21 seamless, the communication effective, and the service cost-efficient. Reflecting on her experience, she emphasises the quality of teaching: “I say that wholeheartedly based on evidence. It’s worked with Sam. They weren’t in a classroom for six months, but they were able to get those GCSE grades, so it’s worked.”
It’s also important that these classes are interactive so students can engage with the content if they wish to. While Max was more reserved, Sam was keen on interacting with teachers and peers more. Academy21’s tailored approach ensures that Ursuline Academy students can engage in ways that suit their needs and preferences.
Looking ahead, the school continues to rely on Academy21 as a key component of its inclusive education strategy, bridging gaps and empowering students during transitional periods.
*Students’ names have been changed.
Written by
Emma Durrant
Posted on
10/02/2025
Updated on
12/02/2025
Location
Greater LondonType
Schools
