Mike Starkie congratulated the cademy on the report, in which it received the highest possible rating and had improved from its good grade from 2013.
The academy ranked highly in five key areas – leadership and management; teaching and learning; personal development; behaviour; and welfare and post-16 provision.
“I was delighted to be invited to attend West Lakes Academy’s announcement of its ‘outstanding’ Ofsted report,” said Mr Starkie.
“To achieve an outstanding report is a fantastic achievement for the staff, pupils and whole community at West Lakes Academy.
“The school has become one of the country’s best and represents a success story that I – and the whole community – are very proud to call our own.”
Inspectors found that the school’s five core values – appreciation, respect, resilience, freedom and achievement – “pervade all aspects of school life”.
The report said that teachers are enthusiastic, talented and know their pupils extremely well, behaviour is exemplary and there is excellent progression rates to university and apprenticeships.
It also said the quality of work in pupils’ workbooks was exemplary and sixth- form students made a major contribution to the school’s positive ethos.
The academy was formed from the merger of Wyndham School with Ehenside School in 2008. It was sponsored by Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the University of Central Lancashire.
To read the full Ofsted report, visit
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