Finally made our decision to leave our "outstanding" primary school

[1969Sarah]

When many parents don't see (don't know) what the two faced head is really like and even most of the staff are too scared to speak out against the current regime it's so very hard to have the courage of your convictions and trust your instinct that things are not right.

The school Is rated outstanding (from a few years ago) and every communication is full of cleverly worded spin. On the surface all looks good. But a senior governor has an unhealthily close relationship with the head and between them they overrule everything and everyone. Their behaviour includes constant lies and distortion that I barely thought possible in a local village school. It used to be such an honest little primary where the children came first.

Now, just recently a few staff have (quietly) spoken out and even the school questionnaire results showed that ten percent of parents felt unable to raise issues with the school (Head) and people are actually starting to leave. Two members of staff have even taken their childten out. Only half the questionnaires were returned as its almost impossible to do so anonymously is such a small school community and people who have experienced the Head's defensiveness first hand have given up trying to influence change. There seem to be a lot more unhappy parents although many still blissfully unaware.

After many sleepless nights as yet another and another failing has come to light we have made the decision to take the children out. Surely this must all come crashing down. How they manage to get away with it is shocking. It's so wrong.

how funny to read this thread... our school has just been given an 'inadequate' rating by ofsted, and we are all so happy there. It is obviously too honest to massage figures.

I used to teach in a secondary school and saw blatant cheating. One teacher even wrote her students' coursework for them. Others gave heavy hints in exams. Senior staff cast a blind eye and even promoted one of these teachers..

But then if they'd been honest, they would NEVER have passed an ofsted inspection. But I hate it. It makes exams meaningless. But the governments have only themselves to blame. These are the consequences of their policies.

My children's old school also aimed for Ofsted outstanding, but if you don't deal well with problems, then the affected children are unhappy and perform less well at school.

However, my children's previous school also failed to differentiate effectively for the more-able and less-able children and that laziness came home to roost in the SATS eventually.

The chair of the governors just thought the head was marvelous though and believed everything she was told by the head about the school. Surely, such a clear lack of critical analysis would ring OFSTED alarm bells too?