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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Devastating OFSTED. Should I change schools?

105 replies

jlt23 · 01/05/2012 21:32

My 4yr old is in reception class at school. We have just had notification of the OFSTED report which is absolutely awful. The school has gone from one of the best in the area to the absolute worst. Completely inadequate across the board including health, safety and welfare. It states that the decline of the school is set to continue and they have been placed on special measures. Would I be to hasty in looking to move her to another school? Would love to hear what other Mums would do.

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TeaTeaLotsOfTea · 01/05/2012 21:33

Personnally I'd move.

Do you not see any of the OFSTED reports before you chose it?

motherinferior · 01/05/2012 21:34

Do you like the school? What do the other parents say?

treadonthecracks · 01/05/2012 21:34

OFSTED aside, how have you found the school to be?

MrsCog · 01/05/2012 21:35

Health and safety would be a concern, but having to spoken to lots of teacher friends over the years I wouldn't put much emphasis on an OFSTED report at all - I don't consider them worth the paper they're written on.

blabalalalablabla · 01/05/2012 21:38

I think initially I'd be looking to see what the governing body were doing - so would want to see the improvement plan and timescales for implementation. I'd also be looking at what the real issues were in the school - ie is it leadership? quality of teaching? pastoral care? standards? and how easily can it be remedied - ie change of head etc?

I'd also weigh up how settled my children were, how happy I had been before knowing the results of the ofsted and what other schools were like in the area.

Does that help?

balia · 01/05/2012 21:41

The criteria by which schools are judged has changed MASSIVELY for entirely political purposes . Good schools and better are being down graded left right and centre to force them into becoming academies , and I really don't think they are any worse than they were last week or the week before. Do you really think the school has dramatically worsened? If your DC is happy I'd think very carefully before I moved her entirely based on an Ofsted report.

DilysPrice · 01/05/2012 21:45

Look at each specific criticism:
Is it something you personally find important? (DC's school was marked down on "spiritual awareness" - I couldn't give a monkeys)
As far as you can tell, is it justified? (obviously there are some areas you'd have no realistic way to judge)
What has the head said? Do they accept any of the findings? If they don't, do you believe their justifications?
What are their plans to fix anything they do accept as justified?

An0therName · 01/05/2012 21:53

happened to me with my DS1's preschool - I wasn't suprised but I decided it was working for us
However it sounds like it was a suprise to you -and that you were happy before you saw the report and agree if your DC is happy I wouldn't rush into anyway

admission · 01/05/2012 21:58

A school that is inadequate across the board and is now in special measures having been good at the last inspection is clearly cause for major concern.
I would give it a couple of months and see what happens. By then the head teacher may well have left , the school governing body could have been disbanded and replaced by an interim executive board to get things moving and the school could be on the way to becoming an academy if the reasons for the inspection result are considered to be the leadership and management of the school. If there is a belief that the current leadership can sort out the problems then you will see a lot of resource going into the school to help it and things may get better quite quickly. However do not expect miracles the school will be in special measures for at least 12 months.

LeeCoakley · 01/05/2012 21:58

What others have said basically. You need to look at each 'failing' and decide whether it's important to you or not.

RandomMess · 01/05/2012 22:00

My dd1 Junior school failed, wait for because it was in debt

It has created a new library and ITC suite costing a lot of money and were still waiting for the sale of some of their land to go through to pay for it!

Original poster

jlt23 · 01/05/2012 22:04

Thanks all.
The report states literally ALL areas are terribly inadequate and are set to decline further, it really is an awful report. The last report was back in 2009 and was glowing so had no hint of the decline while choosing the school. We received a letter from the school stating that they believe their school is good and hold the welfare of the children as a priority.
The school is now on special measures so the governing body will have to pull their socks up but as the report stated, improvement seems fragile.

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SunflowersSmile · 01/05/2012 22:06

Are your children happy there?
There will be MAJOR input in the school now.

Original poster

jlt23 · 01/05/2012 22:09

She is very happy there and luckily the reception class she is in had been rated as 'good'. The problem kicks in year 1.

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TheHouseOnTheCorner · 01/05/2012 22:11

We had a local school go through this...the health and safety conerns were due to a lax entrance system where there wasn't enough checking to see who was coming in...and a hole in the fence. Not great issues but certainly not TERRIBLE. They were immediately rectified.

Other issues were due to the changing staff...the HT had beeen on long term sick leave which caused problems. People left in droves. A year later and some extra funds and support and they once more have a waiting list.

I say dont panic...find out WHY the issues are being raised. What are the health and safety troubles? Does the staff change a lot? do the kids enjoy going?

TheHouseOnTheCorner · 01/05/2012 22:12

That was the same as our local school jlt it was it seemed due to poorly motivated teachers and badly managed lessons. I went to visit the school and it felt grim...not cheerful somehow...but it's fine now...does your DDs school have a good athmosphere? can you speak to parents in year one?

NonnoMum · 01/05/2012 22:13

Be cautious. If your child seems happy and is making progress, then things are probably.
We had a massive shock at our school's last OFSTED but do be aware of the bigger picture.
It is in the government's interest for many many schools to fail/be downgraded as the criteria has changed. Then they can publish results about how many rubbish schools there were and how they can change them around and teach our children Latin and Classics...
I'd go for wait and see.

DinahMoHum · 01/05/2012 22:16

i would wait and see what they do to improve it. There isnt any rush at this age. I would speak to the teacher or head too in a non confrontational friendly way

JustGettingByMum · 01/05/2012 22:17

In 7 years the school my dd attends has gone from good to notice to mprove to special measures and back to good with outstanding features.
Luckily she is our 3rd so we were fairly confident about what issues were important to us, and despite ofsted the children were safe and happy and continued to learn well year on year.
Poor teachers left, a new head was brought in and the LEA chucked lots of help and support at the school.
DD is Y6 & taking SATS in 2 weeks, she is part of a large cohort that are expected to get L5s. I think that shows the school have covered all the work that is expected, and it's been done in a very low pressured way.

NonnoMum · 01/05/2012 22:18

then things are probably ok

Original poster

jlt23 · 01/05/2012 22:20

I have only seen close up the atmosphere in her year so can't really comment on that one.
They are holding a meeting in the hall this week so we will no doubt have a chance to hear their plans and we have many many questions for them. I haven't actually spoken to parents from other years but, again, I will get to hear what they have to say at the meeting.
I know the parents I have spoken to are as concerned as we are.

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Hassled · 01/05/2012 22:21

I would sit tight for a good 6 months and see what happens. Don't panic just yet. Special Measures can be bloody good for a school - and they can be turned around very very quickly. The LA will be in there like a shot and there will be a shedload of attention paid to the school - I have heard of dramatically quick improvements.

And bear in mind the Ofsted Framework has changed a fair bit since 2009 - a lot of schools have been found wanting. The goalposts have been moved, and I think a lot of schools have been caught on the hop.

Itwasonastarrymole · 01/05/2012 22:21

I have had discussions with fellow teachers joking that the best education you could access for your child in the state sector would be to go round putting your child into schools that have just gone into special measures. You will find that the school will receive so much support from the LEA, via teams that will come in and give advice and training on all areas, the teachers will all be on high alert, and the children will be receiving some of the best teaching they ever have, with planning closely monitored. There are schools who've been bumbling along the line between satisfactory/good for years, and just pull their socks up for an Ofsted, scrape through, and then settle back into their ruts, whereas in Special Measures you can't get away with that. I would sit tight for a while and see what happens before you make knee jerk decisions. (My school went into special measures 4 years ago; several families moved immediately, to a school down the road, who went into special measures the following year. We are now 'good' )

Alternatively, there is also the academy conspiracy, which is so fucking scary it makes me shiver.

Itwasonastarrymole · 01/05/2012 22:22

Cross posts Hassled!

Original poster

jlt23 · 01/05/2012 22:27

Mmmmm I agree on the academy thing, lol.
The thought of the school being so closely monitored is what has stopped me running for the hills. I know they will have regular and tough checks which can only be a good thing.
Thanks everyone. I'll stay calm and report back on the meeting.

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