St Matthew’s Academy is a new school, having been formed as a result of the merger of St Andrew’s Academy and St Michael’s Academy. They merged in August 2007 on two separate campuses and the first young people moved into the new building in October 2007. St Matthew’s Academy is a denominational school which serves all of North Ayrshire. The inspection was carried out in October 2008 at which time the roll was 1392. There is no statistical data regarding examination results, attendance or exclusions before August 2007.

Particular strengths of the school

• The overall quality of pastoral care and the effectiveness of the school’s approaches to supporting young people.
• The commitment of staff, young people and parents to creating a successful learning community.
• The use made of external agencies to support learners’ experiences.
• The leadership of the headteacher and his senior management team.

Examples of good practice

• The positive impact on young people’s behaviour of a reward scheme entitled “Hit the Target”.
• Young people’s development of citizenship skills through the school’s partnership with establishments in Malawi and Poland.
• Enhanced learning in modern languages for young people in S3 who produced DVDs about local tourism.