School in Special Measures - aaaargh!

[SpecialMeasures2014]

My DC's school is in SM.

It's a primary, and KS1 & FS have come out Good in terms of teaching. This means I'm confident about DC2's education.

However, I've always known KS2 has issues. Now my worry is how this will impact on DC1's further years at the school. I would be confident
that DC1 would be OK if the Good teachers stay. But chances are they will be off. And a stream of supply teachers will be teaching my child.

The school has been absolutely ripped to shreds. And I'm so worried.
There are clearly issues with the Head and their approach to staff. Staff turn over has been really high. The head has not been there a long time - 6 years I think. But I hear on the Grapevine that HT is difficult to approach and it's their way it the high way!

My dilemma is Do we move DC's or not?
Thinking of a school which is actually just a bit closer to us (we've moved in last year) but there's not much in it. This new school is much smaller less than 150 children. And is graded good having been in SM several years ago. It is part of the same academy group my DC's will probably become a part of.

I'm sure my DC's school is to become an academy. But I don't think any of the problems will be solved if the current head stays.

Well, if there are issues with the Head and staff turnover is already very high, they sound like some of the causes of the SM judgement, rather than an consequence of it.

In your situation, I would properly sit it out a bit and see what happens viz a viz the head. If he/she is staying, then I would look at other options.

The trouble with sitting it out, is that if others don't they will fill up the surrounding schools and there won't be spaces to move to.

Why not give it until half term to see if the Head departs?

I think we will do that.
We are going to visit the new school on Friday. And will wait and see.

Unless your DCs are unhappy I honestly wouldn't worry. DDs secondary was in and out of SM in a year. We have a new (I think better) HT. Teachers who rember to mark books slightly more often and that's about it.

I think I would worry about the leadership at this school. 6 years is plenty of time to mess up a school and they appear not to have recognised where they had problems or to have dealt with them eg KS2 and retention of staff. Good leadership means you can recruit the best teachers, not lose them! I think I would go. If the leadership judgement is also graded 4 then definitely go because this will take a while to pull around even if a new Head comes in. How long do you have?

I agree if your dc are generally happy I'd sit it out.

My friends dc's school was put in SM about 2 years ago. She's a TA at the school. The head retired (frankly I think she'd lost her enthusiasm). They got a new head, changed a raft of things and their last OFSTED rated them as 'Good'. My friends dc's were always happy there and did well so she sat it out.

In the time DC1 has been there it has gone from Satisfactory, to Good 2.5 years ago to inadequate.

I know the governing body has just shed a load of the old governors - who I think knew this was coming. And they had left by the time inspection the inspection took place. And the new chair is a lot more open, whereas before governors were sort of just fed the things the HT and Chair wanted them to know. And some felt very much surplus to requirements. And the high turnover of staff although alarming was not questioned, as it seemed to settle down, but two strong teachers just left one in the summer and then one at Xmas. The decision to appoint NQTs in order to provide a staff that could be 'shaped' has left the school vulnerable as there is an NQT or RQT in every year group except Y3 Y5 (although one teacher is on mat leave) Y6. Plus 3 class vacancies to be filled due to mat leave/ early retirement and a previous teacher who left and couldn't be replaced due to a lack of candidates. This is before any of the existing staff think of leaving due to not wanting to work under SM/ HT.

DC1 will be going into Y4 next. So I wonder if it will be sorted before he gets to Y6.

It still doesn't sound like the SM judgement is the problem really, if strong teachers are leaving, lots of NQTs and there are problems recruiting. It's highly unusual to have so many NQTs that's for sure.

FWIW, I've known schools to use the 'let's recruit NQTs that we can shape' line to try to cover up recruitment problems in a poorly run school.

If you were thinking of leaving before the SM judgement (and it certainly sounds like you had your doubts about the school) then definitely go to see the alternative school with a view to moving your children.

Yes I was worried before.

Schools in Special Measures usually are not allowed to appoint NQTs without special permission. See page 6

The NQTs were appointed before the school went into SM though.

If the other school seems more stable and you like the SLT/Head, then you'll probably not have much of a decision to make.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice everyone.

We went to look at the new school, and it looks lovely. Much smaller, and well staffed. Some of the classes are mixed, which I know could be an issue. But they employ a roaming teacher to pull out groups of children to teach specific lessons aimed at their ability level.

SATS results at KS2 are very good 100% achieved level 4 or above in Mathematics and Reading. They did less well on Writing just below national level - 82%. SPAG the school achieved the national level.

Now if I can just get over the fact that I have to rip my eldest away from all his friends, I think it would be a great move for them.

Good news.

It's hard taking them away from their friends (although important friends can be met up with during holidays and after school etc), but worth doing if it otherwise feels like the right move.

My neighbour moved her dd at the end of Y1 - was a very easy transition, ans meant that she went into Y2 the same time as everyone else ie new teacher/classroom iyswim.

I think you have to do what you think is right. My dd's school is in sm and I don't fancy the other options for one reason and another. It sounds a very similar situation tbh but dd is only in reception and the issues are ks2 and specific to certain groups. I am confident that it will be sorted and become a better school than the alternatives ifyswim? There is one school I would move to if I was a sahm but it's very small/ rural and has no after school care. Even if I could find a childminder to collect dd I would be worried to death about what I would do if I lost them.

What are your year 6's doing this weekend?

Mine had a sleepover with her friend last night, and she's currently on the wii. Later we will have a long late lunch and a dog walk. No homework at all set, thank goodness. How about everyone else?

Oops, sorry ignore last post, it was in wrong thread .