Willow Tree Academy was born out of the aspiration that all children should have the same entitlement to the profound primary educational experience they deserve. We ensure that they are safe from harm and build the emotional resilience, values, skills and knowledge that they need to go on to lead happy and fulfilling lives. 

Over the last twelve years, we have engaged in supporting schools in very challenging circumstances and have considerable experience in rapidly improving schools to be better than good. All Willow Tree Academy schools serve areas of extreme deprivation, but there are no excuses.

We engage and support our families, developing pride and ownership of their school at the heart of its community.

Willow Tree Academy has a strong track record in supporting schools from inadequate to at least good; outstanding leadership, initially from Herringthorpe Junior School, has secured rapid and sustained improvement in the schools we have supported and sponsored. We have built a vision where all understand there can be no compromise with children’s lives. 

Over many years we have ensured thousands of children have had an exceptional education, that without Herringthorpe Junior School and Willow Tree involvement would not have happened.

• Our founding school, Herringthorpe Junior School, has a proud track record of excellence. It was judged ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted in July 2014, designated a National Support School in 2015, and became a Teaching School in 2017. That same year, it was also endorsed as a sponsor by the Department for Education. Most recently, in February 2025, Herringthorpe was once again recognised as ‘Outstanding’— in all four key areas.
• 2013 Greasbrough Primary School; the school moved rapidly from Special Measures, to be a good school with outstanding leadership in fourteen months. The EYFS provision at Greasbrough, having been inadequate for the previous two inspections, was also judged outstanding in 2014. Ofsted 2021 judged outstanding for children’s Personal Development and Behaviour and Attitudes with exceptional curriculum experiences noted. School evaluation judges the school as good.
• Roughwood Primary School, joined our academy in 2017, again we were able to swiftly improve the school to ‘good’ in one term, following many years as a ‘requires improvement’ school. Described as ‘exceptional’ Ofsted 2022. School evaluation judges the school as outstanding.
• Rockingham JI judged good Ofsted Sept 2022. The school’s culture and educational provision has been transformed and we know it is at least good with exceptional practice evident every day. School evaluation judges the school as good.

Shared Values and Beliefs

Willow Tree Academy promotes and cultivates an ethos based on a system of shared values and beliefs. These are the heartbeat of our organisation.

Our Key values 

Passion - Working in education, we have the ability to profoundly change children’s lives; the stakes are incredibly high. Our aim should always be to provide for the pupils of our Academies what we would want for our own children.

Positivity - Staff have a responsibility to be positive and supportive of each other. Negativity leads to low expectations and a culture where excuses are tolerated.

Aspiration - Embodied in the Trust motto, “Together anything is possible” all members of staff aim for excellence in their individual professional roles.

Commitment - Staff are prepared to go the extra mile to provide the best possible education for their pupils. The interests of children are always placed ahead of those of staff. 

Tenacity - The amount of time children spend in education is finite, there is a sense of urgency to our core purpose. We have a responsibility to ensure every moment a child is in a Willow Tree Academy must be spent productively. Once wasted, it is gone forever and cannot be given back. We teach children to be resilient and tenacious in their quest for learning and expect the same of our staff.

Moral purpose

Willow Tree Academy is committed to improving the life chances of all children. This moral obligation, our mission, does not end at the school gates. Where Willow Tree Academies have the capacity to make a difference, they are morally bound to do so and will work with the wider community and other agencies to achieve positive outcomes for children and their families.