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Original poster

Al Madinah school ofsted report

93 replies

hillian · 17/10/2013 08:45

Has anyone seen this report? It says they don't even know who is disabled or which children aren't in school on a particular day!
www.theguardian.com/education/interactive/2013/oct/16/oftsed-report-on-al-madinah-school-derby

OP posts:
straggle · 17/10/2013 09:31

It's shocking - the report says it is a dysfunctional school in chaos, with an ineffective governing body letting down the community, no admin or accounting systems, inexperienced and untrained staff - many of which have never taught before and all paid on different rates despite being in comparable roles.

How did it ever get approved? How come it was visited by the DfE in November 2012 and a whole year has passed since then? It's the second free school in special measures and again it's all about ineffective governance and untrained staff.

eggyweggies · 17/10/2013 09:55

Absolutely appalling.

tiffinboys · 17/10/2013 11:16

I think that there should be no new faith school and the existing ones should be abolished over time. Very divisive and doesn't help in creating one nation.

tiffinboys · 17/10/2013 11:17

Even existing faith schools should be open up for the wider community. Majority of places should be given on non-faith basis criteria - distance for example.

Original poster
hillian · 17/10/2013 11:51

Do you think this is a faith school issue? I tend to think its what you get when a closed group gets together and makes decisions about how to educate children without buying in appropriate support.

OP posts:
tiffinboys · 17/10/2013 12:04

Perhaps this group would not have initiated such a project, if it was not based on faith. They should be required to appoint qualified staff and open up admissions to the wider community. faith based teaching can be done out of school hour, as all schools basically have to follow national curriculum.

tiffinboys · 17/10/2013 12:07

Other than that, the dress code and such matters should be left to the governors to decide. Wearing scarf or not is matter for school to decide; Ofstead emphasize should be on quality of education and children safety.

ErrolTheDragon · 17/10/2013 12:25

The issues could affect other 'free' schools, but in this case being a faith school seems relevant - it is noticeable that the areas where they do well are related to Islamic studies. That suggests that this is seen as the priority and so other subjects tend to be relatively undervalued.

HavantGuard · 17/10/2013 12:30

This is a free school issue. Any group can set up a school and start taking on pupils. They don't have to have experience running a school. Those teaching don't have to be teachers!

All Mr. Gove's work.

straggle · 17/10/2013 12:40

It's two issues together! New faith schools that are part of existing networks, with their own inspectors and standards, getting 100% state funding, and the free school policy in general which allows unqualified teachers, irregular financial practices (I read that some contracts were awarded to family members of governors but can't find the link) and incompetent governance. With no local oversight.

All Gove's fault, I agree.

straggle · 17/10/2013 12:45

sorry, 'New faith schools that are not part of existing networks'

noblegiraffe · 17/10/2013 12:51

Fucking hell, that's awful.

Yes Gove, this is exactly what to expect when people with no experience in education are allowed to set up schools and hire unqualified teachers.

How has it taken this long to come to light? Shouldn't Free Schools be monitored to hell and back in their opening to make sure the basics like taking a bloody register are in place?

straggle · 17/10/2013 13:05

Was reported in Sunday Times that there was a £95,000 payment made to an organisation employing relatives of some of the Governors. It got £1.4 million in start-up funding up to the end of its first year.

It was inspected in November 2012 by the DfE. Maybe that's why the first headteacher left. The report says they had no principal at all for several weeks.

Inertia · 17/10/2013 13:06

This is what Gove wants for all our children. The government wants to increase the number of Free Schools, operated and staffed by people with no relevant training or experience who can make up their own curriculum.

Whatever problems exist with state LA-led education, there is no issue that is best solved by abandoning all safeguarding procedures, SEN provision , curricula, and training/ qualification requirements ; and then hoping that the shining light of capitalism (and a bit of religion in some cases) will lead the way.

Inertia · 17/10/2013 13:09

In fact the only surprise is that OFSTED were allowed to be this honest, given the Government's manipulation of OFSTED procedures to produce outcomes which best suit the Government's agenda of increased free schools/ enforced academies/ backdoor privatisation.

IShallWearMidnight · 17/10/2013 13:10

maybe OFSTED are't as useless as we all thought then Wink

straggle · 17/10/2013 13:19

Lends some context to the teachers' strike, doesn't it?

'It is unclear why staff carrying out comparable roles are paid at different rates.'

noblegiraffe · 17/10/2013 13:23

Yes, I don't think any teacher would have a problem with Ofsted being needed in this particular instance.

I read someone saying that Ofsted should be more like restaurant inspectors, sweeping in and checking that things are being done properly (like in this instance) rather than behaving like food critics who think they can objectively distinguish between tasty and delicious.

Greythorne · 17/10/2013 16:20

Utterly shocking

Talkinpeace · 17/10/2013 16:24

tiffinboys
Other than that, the dress code and such matters should be left to the governors to decide.
Sorry?
Why should a non Muslim teacher be forced to wear a Muslim headscarf?

figroll · 17/10/2013 17:31

I have just read this Ofsted report and I am absolutely outraged by it. Why is this school being allowed to stay open? It should be closed immediately and the children sent to schools where they can get a fair and balanced education. It is such a backwards step to have schools such as this in existence.

aroomofherown · 17/10/2013 17:40

It's just so ironic that this comes out just as one of the reasons teachers are striking is that Gove allows non-qualified teachers to be employed.

Is anyone surprised?

Ofsted recommends training for teachers in this school for even the basics, like using data to inform planning and using assessment criteria in a standardised way. They don't mark effectively either. Why should they be able to, if a qualification isn't required? Where were they supposed to learn this - on the job and so wasting valuable education time?

Massive fail.

BoffinMum · 17/10/2013 17:46

I think some parents with children at this school must have had their eyes off the ball BIG TIME if all this was going on under their noses and they didn't realise.

figroll · 17/10/2013 17:50

These children have already wasted 12 months and presumably will waste more time whilst the school attempts to improve. I am thankful that my children have both left school as the constant political and ideological meddling from politicians has now taken a turn for the worse. Politics (and in my own opinion, religion) should be kept out of schools. It's just wrong on all counts. Gove is just trying to make his mark and leave a legacy: goodness knows what he is going to be remembered for. The dismantling of education as we know it.