Only 1 follow up visit from Ofsted and school now listed by them as "closed"

[MillyMollyMama]

A local secondary school was inspected by Ofsted in October 2012. The first section 5 visit was March 2013. Both were inadequate. There have been no more visits from Ofsted since the school began sharing an executive Head with another local school. The local school appears to have become an academy but there is no name change, nothing on the web site to indicate the change from City Council to Sponsor and Ofsted are listing the school as closed. How is a parent supposed to know how the school is progressing towards its improvement goals if Ofsted is no longer visiting to follow up the original visit and judgement? Is this normal? On the previous occasion when the school was graded 4, there were 5 section 5 visits.

My local primary is going through similar. My understanding was that it would be issued with a new ofsted registration no. As it's been taken over as an Academy and so is classed now as a new school. My primary shows as closed on the ofsted site but I can't see it's got a new ofsted number yet either.

This is completely normal. As soon as the school becomes an academy, it is deemed to be a new school, even if it has the same name. As such it will not be inspected for approximately 18 months.
There is a strong argument to say that this is wrong in that the school does not suddenly become a good school but the assumption is made that it will become a good school over the 18 month period before any inspection. As a parent I think I would prefer to know, by inspection, that the school is making progress towards being good rather than an assumption it will.

There was so much wrong and it will be 2 years since the full inspection in October. So more than 18 months. The school has only just become an academy, apparently, so is that 18 months from now? How is anyone supposed to have any idea whether improvement is on track or not? It wasn't at the first post inspection visit.

Because the late unlamented Michael Gove claimed that any school that becomes an academy is immediately deemed outstanding!!

The 18 months starts running when the school becomes an academy. So yes, 18 months from now. But if the school has only just become an academy I am puzzled as to why there have been no monitoring inspections for over a year.

Because the late unlamented Michael Gove claimed that any school that becomes an academy is immediately deemed outstanding!!

He, of course, never made any such claim.

The school says on its website that it was scheduled to become an academy in May 2014. However, there is no announcement. The uniform is changing in September. Their web site does not say who is sponsoring the school but it is the same sponsor as the other school the executive head is in charge of. It seems that Ofsted just have assumed it is ok but the 2013 dashboard says otherwise. It is extremely odd.

It seems like the two schools have merged - except they haven't.

I imagine the reasoning is that the new school needs time to bed in before being badgered by OFSTED.

My daughters school is in the same position (primary) although perhaps the difference is that the sm judgment was unlucky and harsh in the extreme (it was all about management, this year's SATs are amongst the best in County ) I guess sm covers a multitude of sins and if the situation in this school is that there are behaviour problems, poor results, worries about progress 18 months is a long time.

One of the biggest worries was that 50% of lessons were taught by supply teachers. Also that teaching/learning was poor in many areas and the 2013 dashboard appears to be worrying (low category for maths and science) when compared with similar schools. How can anyone know if this school is improving?