Requiring Improvement School - monitoring visits and outcomes

[PrimaryConcern]

For background the school went into special measures 3 years ago and became an Academy in an Academy Trust.

Last inspection (2015) resulted in Requiring Improvements. Just before the 2nd RI monitoring visit, an Executive Head was appointed from the Trust (in addition to the school HT). Ofsted were very positive about this. However the Head Teacher has since retired and there is no replacement, so now it is just the Executive Head 2 days a week and the deputy covering. There have been a number of staff resignations, the latest being Head of the Early Years, which was the only area of teaching deemed good (and some outstanding). There are a number of other areas that are declining and children are being pulled out at a noticeable rate.(fairly rural with only 1 at capacity school in the area so quite easy to move).

To get to the actual point(!), I can't find anything about how many monitoring visits are standard after a Requiring Improvement inspection - anyone know? Do the above issues impact on Ofsted inspections? Teaching issues were the main cause for RI, but there was also a lot about management. If it goes back into Special Measures, what can realistically be done as it's already an Academy?

[Shurelyshomemistake]

It could be what's known as 'rebrokered' i.e. moved to a new multi academy trust. If there is one that'll take it.

RI schools usually undergo a full reinspwction under S. 5 at some point. Maintained schools get support from local authority usually during this time. Academies may have involvement from regional schools commissioner or the current sponsor....

[TeacherBob]

You get a monitoring inspection. If that is ok and you are seen to have put all in place, you wont get a full monitoring inspection

[admission]

The RI monitoring inspections are to ensure that the school after the Ofsted inspection have realised what was wrong, put a plan in place to correct it and then done something towards it.
Normally that is 1 visit but you have apparently had 2, the last in 2015. I would not expect you will get anymore monitoring visits because Ofsted would normally be looking to re-inspect, with a full Section 5 inspection, in the 2 to 3 year time period. So the school will probably be looking at an inspection some time in 2017 / 18 academic year.
The changes you have stated will potentially have an effect on the outcome of the next inspection because all staff movement can result in upset, especially at head teacher level.
As has already been said if the school goes back into special measures, which seems quite likely if both staff and parents are voting with their feet, then it will probably be re-brokered but to some extent it will depend where the current sponsor school is located. If it is close then they may be able to convince the Regional School Commissioner to hold off this but if it is a considerable distance then they will rebroker with a sponsor school that is much closer.

[PrimaryConcern]

Thanks for the replies.

Sorry my OP was horribly jumbled - the original Ofsted inspection was in 2015. There have been 2 monitoring visits since, the last being April 2016.

So a 3rd Monitoring inspection is unlikely and a full Ofsted likely in 2018/19, if it's 2 years after the last monitoring visit.

The Academy is a local Diocese Academy Trust and the Executive Head is from a school very close by. Would that school be the sponsor school in this scenario?

From what we've been told so far, there is no plan to replace the outgoing head and it will continue with the Executive Head & Deputy. From a parent pov, it doesn't outwardly seem to be working very well. I won't be moving my DC, but I do also have preschool-age DC so I am concerned about the school's future.

[Foxyloxy1plus1]

There may well be a full inspection before 2018/9. Significant numbers of resignations will sound alarm bells, as will a falling roll.

If T&L is an issue, it's inevitable that management will be under scrutiny too.

[PrimaryConcern]

Thanks FoxyLoxy, will Ofsted be made aware of the changes then? There are rumblings that staff morale is very low under the current arrangements.

[admission]

Ofsted will get to know about the situation in the school if parents respond to parentview etc. Whilst there is a practical point that a school will never please everybody all the time, there is an expectation of a certain amount of negative comments. But once it gets to be obviously negative that will run a red flag up at Ofsted and quiet possibly generate a decision to inspect.
It is also the case that sometimes the Diocese may just decide to alert Ofsted to issues in a school but if it is already part of a diocese academy chain, then that is probably unlikely.

[PrimaryConcern]

Thanks admission, I didn't realise parentview could be completed outside of an active inspection. I actually moved my DC out of a better Ofsted rated school a couple of years ago, so I'm by no means fixated on Ofsted; but there are some concerning issues that don't really seem to be being addressed.

[PrimaryConcern]

My DC came out of school with the Ofsted are inspecting letter!

Interestingly, the letter states for schools that required improvement at the last inspection if still judged to require improvement, then there will be further monitoring and another inspection within 2 years. If at that inspection it is still not good, it is highly likely to be judged inadequate and deemed to require special measures.

This to me reads that they won't judge as special measures at this inspection regardless and will get a 2 year stay of execution requiring improvement at worst.

[admission]

The rule is that if they have 2 RI Ofsted inspections that if at the next (3rd ) inspection they are not good that they will end up in special measures. I am sure that if the 2nd inspection did not go well that the school would go into special measures.
The problem is what then happens. It is already an diocese academy so the only realistic option is another faith based academy chain takes over. That is unlikely to happen, if I am honest.

[PrimaryConcern]

Oh I see, so it means they take RI off the table after 2 consecutive RI's, and Special Measures is a possibility for this one.

Having dug around a bit, the sponsor school was judged RI in 2013 and had 1 monitoring visit which wasn't all that great. But the school is now listed as closed on Ofsted's website and the school's website shows the last inspection as being 2013 RI. This surely can't be right?