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Secondary education

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Original poster

OFSTED inspection over a year overdue...

27 replies

LouiseM73 · 16/01/2020 21:40

My child's school was last inspected February 2016 - it's been well over 3 years, what's taking them so long?? It's not an outstanding school, it was rated "Needs improvement" last time, so it's definitely not exempt. Is this normal?

OP posts:
MsJaneAusten · 16/01/2020 21:46

Totally normal. OFSTED is never quite when you expect it. Poor staff must be permanently on edge.

ListeningQuietly · 16/01/2020 21:50

They have rather a backlog of schools which have not been inspected for over ten years.

Is your child happy there ?
As that is what really matters

Original poster
LouiseM73 · 16/01/2020 21:52

@MsJaneAusten surely it's a bit cruel to leave them on edge for a whole year though?? Should've mentioned in the original post, but I find it hard that OFSTED would want to prolong it when so much goes on there... there's a known bullying problem, there's been reports of knives, and just last September a group of students were found to be involved in a drugs ring.
I wish I could move my daughter out of there but everywhere else is too far :(

OP posts:
Original poster
LouiseM73 · 16/01/2020 21:54

@ListeningQuietly I thought those schools were rated outstanding, though? That means they're exempt from routine inspection?

In regards to my child's happiness, she hasn't raised any concerns, but as apparent in my previous response, I do worry for her safety.

OP posts:
ListeningQuietly · 16/01/2020 21:54

there's a known bullying problem, there's been reports of knives, and just last September a group of students were found to be involved in a drugs ring.
sounds like a pretty ordinary school TBH

is your daughter enjoying it ?
What would you expect OFSTED to actually do ?

SpruceTree · 16/01/2020 22:00

The schools that were rated Outstanding 10 years ago desperately need re-inspecting. Most of them have had a complete change of staff and are a totally different school to when they were inspected all the time e ago - some over a decade!!!

cabbageking · 16/01/2020 22:07

There will be on going monitoring and if data and feedback is positive you may delay and allow more time. The new framework also needs to be embedded.

If data drops or concerns raised, Ofsted inspect Outstanding schools.
There is discussion presently for Outstanding schools to be Ofsteded within 5 years from Sept 2020

Original poster
LouiseM73 · 16/01/2020 22:09

@ListeningQuietly
It's school, for crying out loud. Enjoying school is very difficult for most people, my little girl included. I can't go anywhere else, all I can do is make it as bearable as possible.
I would hope OFSTED would reconsider their rating. Things have taken a downturn from 2016 and I would be very surprised to see if they didn't give it an 'inadequate' rating, through all the safeguarding issues (that have been reported to local news multiple times) and lack of improvement from the last report.

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ElderAve · 16/01/2020 22:15

Routine is 4 years now? We're currently "good" but we're not expecting them back until the 4th anniversary (ish). We were expecting them last year but is changed part way through the year. TBH I'd have rather got it over with.

ListeningQuietly · 16/01/2020 22:16

If OFSTED rate it as inadequate, what do you think will happen ?
Is it already an academy ?
OFSTED have no power to make schools do anything.

MsJaneAusten · 16/01/2020 22:17

But what would you expect to happen if the school was given an inadequate rating? Not much tbh. Ofsted report; they don’t make changes.

Have you spoken to the governors about your concerns? They’re the ones who hold the real power.

Original poster
LouiseM73 · 16/01/2020 22:25

@ListeningQuietly It is already an academy - however they are not exempt from OFSTED as much as you seem to think they are. As far as I am aware, when a school is rated inadequate it is put into special measures, where it is given extra support. It needs it.
If OFSTED had no power, why are they inspecting schools in the first place?

OP posts:
ListeningQuietly · 16/01/2020 22:28

OFSTED rate the school as inadequate
it is then up to the LEA in an LEA school or the Governors in an academy to do something about it.
But as Academies are not accountable to anybody except themselves, they will do nothing.
And the DfE has no ideas for making things improve in Academies.

Special measures and support are only at the request of governors
thank you Michael Gove

Original poster
LouiseM73 · 16/01/2020 22:29

@MsJaneAusten Like I said, doesn't an inadequate rating send a school into special measures?
I would've thought that the governors would already be aware of all of the issues, given how many news reports about it are floating around. Still, I'll consider trying to contact them. Not sure how to go about it though - I'm sure it's not that difficult

OP posts:
Original poster
LouiseM73 · 16/01/2020 22:32

@ListeningQuietly Oh, that's so frustrating. As suggested, I'll try contacting the governors. If anything, I just want an updated report. I just wanna know what's going on.

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Yubaba · 16/01/2020 22:35

There is a school near me that hasn’t been inspected since 2005!

cantkeepawayforever · 16/01/2020 22:40

Time was that Special measures would bring in extra help and money.

Sadly, that is no longer the case. it does bring in forced academisation if the school is not an academy, but since academisation was meant to be a magic bullet, there isn' actually a plan for what happens when becoming an academy doesn't improve a school or makes it worse. Occasionally a school is re-brokered to a different academy chain if the existing one has a significant number of problem schools that aren't improving.

So no, dropping further won't help. In fact, any families that have any option - and any interest - will remove their children. Any staff who can - e.g. those who teach subjects like Maths - will leave. Neither of these tend to help, as lower numbers of less engaged kids and fewer good teachers isn't a recipe for success...but if the school if far from others it can't close.

BrandoraPaithwaite · 16/01/2020 22:41

It's not true that Special Measures are only at the request of the governors.

If a school gets Inadequate, if it's a bad enough report Special Measures are imposed and the school has monitoring visits from HMI and ofsted roughly termly and lots of advice from HMI. The school has no choice. I know because this happened at a school where I worked and I was involved in all the monitoring visits etc. Had to meet the HMI each time and show we had followed her advice etc.

Gogolego · 16/01/2020 22:42

Our school hasn't been inspected properly since 2014. Basically we were almost due an inspection when we turned into an academy which meant that it was a new school. Which means that the clock is refreshed and we are now due an inspection any time now

Has something like this happened at the school in question?

Original poster
LouiseM73 · 16/01/2020 22:49

@Gogolego Nope - its academy status was achieved before the previous inspection, I believe.

@cantkeepawayforever That's such a dilemma. Still, I don't see anyway of getting the people running that place to listen. They kinda back themselves into this corner where they refuse to acknowledge the issues that happen, I think getting a dire rating might be the only way to make them budge, even at the risk of making their situation worse.

@BrandoraPaithwaite I can only hope for an outcome like that.

OP posts:
JemSynergy · 16/01/2020 22:50

My daughters school hasn't been inspected since 2007! It has had two different Heads since the last inspection.

BrandoraPaithwaite · 16/01/2020 23:02

@LouiseM73 I wouldn't wish for special measures for my dc's school, even if I was disappointed with it. Like PP said, SM is incredibly harsh and disheartening. Lots of staff will leave and won't be replaced due to the bad press and teacher shortages. Special measures schools can't recruit newly qualified teachers which makes it even harder to staff. You end up with lots of supply teachers coming and going. Possibly even head or SLT being sacked and therefore turmoil. Could be taken over by an academy trust that upsets everyone even more. Takes years to get out of special measures. It's not good!

Sewingbea · 17/01/2020 18:10

Special measures doesn't mean any extra money or, in many cases, any extra useful support. Ofsted point out the faults that they perceive and then leave the school to try to improve. Some staff will leave through choice because they can't face special measues, some dead wood will be got rid of through pay offs etc. ( costing the school precious money) and the majority of teachers will battle on, working hard in a horrible atmosphere. Ofsted is a stick to beat schools with, not a productive and improving organisation.

ListeningQuietly · 17/01/2020 18:12

Ofsted is a stick to beat schools with, not a productive and improving organisation.
Whereas before academies took over 2/3 of secondaries, LEAs were held accountable for their schools
and the good ones would parachute in help for failing schools
often turning them round in two terms or less
sadly those days are gone
thank you Gove

lordchipmonk · 17/01/2020 23:19

At the school I used to work at, we had ofsted come in one summer and say they would be back within 12 months. It was 18 months before they were back. Perfectly common, but made the year hell for staff. Bear in mind that even Ofsted admit there is no evidence that their existence makes our education system any better.