Inspired Education

[Hungrygiraffe]

Does anyone have any experience of a school that has been taken over by Inspired Education?

The private school we were looking at has been bought by them and a friend has just sent me an article in the Times (Fri 11th) about the owner. It has made me wonder if we’ve made the right choice because the emphasis of the article is all about maximising profit, catering to the needs of a global elite and being competitive.

We want a nurturing school, which I thought the school was, but my concern is that it might change direction. There is a mention of testing the children every Monday morning on what they had learnt so far that term which sounded crazy.

The article describes schools as “cash cows” which sends alarm bells ringing. Maybe I’m just being naive though? I’m a bit taken aback that they’re being so transparent about the emphasis on profit. The previous owners were Alpha Plus (who may have been the same just more subtle in their comms?). The director has a background in global equity/finance and doesn’t seem to have much actual expertise in education. We’ve visited the school and really liked it but our DC isn’t due to start until next year so we have time to consider other options.

In Spain, Inspired took over The British Council School. No one can get over it, such a bastion school of values, not value. Seems like Inspired is only interested in metrics and money. 💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰

For those who have a child with even the slightest bit of anxiety, are challenged in certain subjects or social issues - RUN! Inspired schools will throw them under the bus. They want statistics that support their PR and I know of students who have been quietly asked to leave because their predicted scores would be less than par.

If you consider how many staff problems Inspired now has, it suggests teachers are poorly treated, underpaid and leaving in droves. A happy teacher means happy kids, Inspired doesn’t get that. AVOID these Inspired schools at all costs.

How about the internationally famous and high achieving Pembridge Hall School?

Hilden Grange in Tonbridge appears to be an inspired school and the parents seem to be very happy with how pushy it is. Their buses look a bit of a mess though and I guess that makes sense if they aren’t going to invest all their money back into the school / students.