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Original poster

New academy - Ofsted not publishing a report

77 replies

JohnnyBarthes · 21/02/2014 20:05

To cut a very long story short; the head is a "character". A couple of years ago the LA wanted to close the school as there are hundreds of empty desks in the authority and a large proportion of the pupils at the school came from neighbouring areas (parents living closer preferring other schools in the city). Head had also refused to go coed, which meant that another school which wanted to go coed couldn't do so. There was a lot of unmet demand for coed, non-denominational school places.

Head evaded closure by taking advantage of the government's policy to allow schools graded as Outstanding to convert to academies (although they had to start admitting boys, which at least allowed the boys school to admit girls).

Ofsted report not long after gave another Outstanding. Then a little over a year later, in December 2013, the school had a surprise Section 8(?) safeguarding inspection. This became a full inspection, which concluded mid-December 2013.

The safeguarding inspection report has been published, but the full report has not. Neither the head nor Ofsted are saying why. The whole thing is extremely fishy and it's not something I've heard of happening before - this isn't just a case of a school challenging a report, from what I can see.

Sorry that's way longer than I hoped

The local paper is all over it but I've seen nothing in TES or elsewhere:

Local news article - one of several!

OP posts:

Oakmaiden · 09/03/2014 19:06

Still outstanding, officially, isn't it?

noblegiraffe · 09/03/2014 19:09

There is a spectacular amount of nonsense spoken here about this report. It is a Sect 8 - I recommend people read what this means. It was a report specifically about Safegarding - yet no one here comments on this.

For a report about safeguarding, it doesn't actually talk about safeguarding that much, and talks quite a lot about the Head of the school. This is quite extraordinary and worthy of comment.

TalkinPeace · 10/03/2014 11:32

www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/136483

TalkinPeace · 10/03/2014 11:34

parentview.ofsted.gov.uk/parent-view-results/survey/result/23568/current
question 9

Original poster

JohnnyBarthes · 10/03/2014 18:00

Jane, the leaked report is a full Ofsted report. As I'm sure you know it began life as a Section 8 (and I believe many posters here know exactly what a Section 8 is), but during the visit inspectors saw fit to upgrade it (as reported in the local paper back in December).

I find the contrast between the Outstanding elements and the Inadequate ones stark, and as noble says the references to the head are quite astonishing and well worthy of comment. Besides, those comments directly relate to safeguarding - of both pupils and staff. Posters are, quite correctly, refraining from quoting the content.

Regardless of the report's verdict, the fact that it was shelved is pretty unusual I think and provokes any number of questions.

Oakmaiden yes it is indeed still Outstanding. FWIW if I was considering sending my child there I would be encouraged by the assessment of the teaching and attainment. I would want to hold out for a leadership change, however.

Talkin there have been quite a few additions to that survey over the past week - I think there's been a request put out to parents to complete it (although I don't know by whom).

OP posts:

Original poster

JohnnyBarthes · 10/03/2014 18:04

Actually Talkin the volume of "Strongly Agree" responses to the "well managed" - is that unusual? When I've responded (to ds's current secondary and old primary) I had to say "Don't Know", because I genuinely didn't. I've never seen one of my child's school's accounts and not known enough generally to feel able to judge

OP posts:

MrsCakesPremonition · 10/03/2014 18:25

Any Parentview report can be easily biased by someone with an agenda using multiple email accounts.
It wouldn't take more than a couple of families/staff/interested parties to sway the results one way or another.

justaspectator · 10/03/2014 21:09

The main concern is why the report was not made public. It makes me wonder whether any other school Ofsted reports have also been suppressed for any reason? Who knows?

Agggghast · 11/03/2014 06:22

Interesting note on website from chair of governors. Clearly Dept of Ed are finally doing something but difficult for Gove since Outstanding Academies are becoming rarer than hens' teeth.

Original poster

JohnnyBarthes · 11/03/2014 09:08

DfE officials visiting today

Watch this space, I guess.

OP posts:

prh47bridge · 11/03/2014 09:25

Outstanding Academies are becoming rarer than hens' teeth

No they aren't. Around one quarter of all academy inspections result in a rating of outstanding.

Original poster

JohnnyBarthes · 11/03/2014 11:27

There's a small piece in today's Guardian: here

OP posts:

TalkinPeace · 11/03/2014 18:14

johnny
Shame the article is bilge as the report is linked on the Ofsted website clear as day (I posted the link yesterday)

and I agree with prh47
there are still loads and loads of schools that are excellent despite becoming academies
I'm less convinced that there are any schools that are excellent because of becoming academies

noblegiraffe · 11/03/2014 18:42

it isn't linked to on the link you posted to Ofsted? The section 8 report is there, the 'safeguarding meets requirements' one, but the section 5 one, which is on that charity website, the one which isn't very complimentary about the head, that's not on the Ofsted website.

Agggghast · 11/03/2014 18:53

Well there is no definitive data but going by the area I work in the six, previously 'Outstanding', converter academies are now 'Good' or worse. The school nearest to us went from 'Good' to 'Inadequate' a year after converting with their best ever GCSE results. I know many excellent teachers who report issues with the management of academies. Some of the chains such as AET have had a terrible impact on education in some areas, the Isle of Wight springs to mind.

eddiemairswife · 11/03/2014 19:29

Just heard on the news that Brecklands School, a new academy in Suffolk is to be put in Special Measures.

TalkinPeace · 11/03/2014 21:13

sorry, misread link in a hurry ....

more and more academies will go into special measures because they are just normal schools without proper supervision

Original poster

JohnnyBarthes · 13/03/2014 17:41

Glorious letter from one of the governors in today's paper: here

OP posts:

justaspectator · 13/03/2014 19:44

it is rather amusing especially as the Chair has allegedly issued the letter without consulting the rest of the governing body.
She certainly has some chutzpah, particularly after that phone call she allegedly made. I would love to have been a fly on the wall at their meeting today - I bet it was a bit livelier than usual.

It will be interesting to see what happens next.

TalkinPeace · 13/03/2014 20:20

DH was at a school recently where the head hung around the staff room, not talking to anybody, shooing the staff back to lessons ....
speaks volumes

justaspectator · 13/03/2014 20:33

Oh yes talkin. I once mentioned to the school staff that the Head often glared angrily at my disabled son causing him to feel upset and intimidated. I was told not to worry as the Head was like that to all the children!