Heanor Gate Spencer Academy is an ‘Outstanding’ secondary school and sixth form (Ofsted, June 2023) which is oversubscribed in Year 7 for the second successive year. We are extremely proud of our inspection report which is a testament to 7 years of school improvement. It states that ”teachers are subject experts”,  “pupils are ambitious about their future”, “classrooms are calm places, where pupils focus on their learning” and “leaders are relentless in their desire to provide the absolute best education for all pupils and to serve the local community”.

Read more about our Outstanding Ofsted report here:

10268033-Heanor-Gate-Spencer-Academy-137606-Final.pdf

Over the past 8 years we have developed an inclusive, disciplined culture which has culminated in a student body full of aspiration, commitment and success. The staff buy into #TeamHeanor and this ethos of collegiality, team values and moral compass is what makes the unique working environment at Heanor Gate so enjoyable and fulfilling.

As well as the staff being united by the concept of #TeamHeanor, to ensure that our students succeed at school and in life, all students work towards demonstrating the following values in all aspects of school life

• Respect
• Pride
• Unity
• Resilience
• Integrity
• Organisation

Through an ethos of ‘Aspire, Learn and Achieve’, we believe that all of our students will achieve their very best educational outcomes. This ethos is at the heart of everything that we do. We want our students to believe that they can achieve whatever they want to with hard work, resilience and self-motivation.

We deliver a challenging yet inspiring curriculum and an unrivalled level of academic and pastoral support, and believe that what we offer students will support them to achieve success in the classroom and beyond; academically, personally and socially. Through our curriculum and extra-curricular offer, we aim to instil students with a love of learning as well as helping them to become responsible, independent members of the community who go on to a range of destinations including Russell Group universities, higher level apprenticeship and local industry.

We have a strong culture of professional development for teachers and support staff at all stages of their careers. Our ECT development plan is extensive with bespoke in-house training, closely aligned with the Spencer Academies Trust ECT programme. For experienced staff, our in-house CPD programme is bespoke to need. All of this is complemented by access to opportunities to pursue NPQ qualifications, alongside CPD provided by Spencer Alliance for Leadership and Teaching. We also have a close working partnership with the Chartered College of Teaching, providing routes into obtaining Chartered status.

Alongside the wealth of CPD opportunities, we also recognise the importance of staff wellbeing. We offer a broad wellbeing package ranging from free access to our on-site gym, staff support groups and weekly wellbeing breakfast.