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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Ofsted inspections mean nothing

56 replies

devongal1975 · 07/05/2023 11:21

Does anyone else feel Ofsted inspections and grades mean nothing? My DS attends a supposedly 'Outstanding' School. He has been beaten up 7 times this school year, and despite reporting it each time, the school have done essentially nothing to help and the daily bullying has gotten even worse. All my friends whose DC attend the school have the same story, in theory there is a huge bullying problem that the school brush under the carpet and hide from Ofsted to protect their reputation (which isn't even that good anymore judging by what my friends think of the school.) The behavior in lessons is appauling, the kids run the class while the teacher sits there drinking coffee doing nothing. The teachers are very poor at teaching, they do not assist anyone when they ask for help, and many do not know their subject very well. Some teachers also swear in their lessons as well. The school is a bullying infested mess with a victim blaming culture and surely should be in special measures? Does this not demonstrate how Ofsted reports are a load of rubbish? Or does anyone feel that this school truly deserves to be outstanding?

OP posts:
TeenDivided · 07/05/2023 11:23

When were they inspected?

Icedlatteplease · 07/05/2023 11:24

Have you had a recent inspection? Did you reply on the parent voice front?

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 07/05/2023 11:27

How far have you taken the bullying complaint? To the governors? To the LEA?

Singleandproud · 07/05/2023 11:32

DDs outstanding school hasn't been inspected for over a decade. Fortunately it is still great but the fact that schools that hit the outstanding mark were exempt from inspections was a poor decision as so much can happen.

Why is your DS still at this school? After being beaten up the second time and the school doing nothing surely you pulled him out and applied elsewhere.

EduCated · 07/05/2023 11:32

There’s an ‘outstanding’ school locally which hasn’t been inspected since 2011 - some of the current Year 7s were barely even born!

MelchiorsMistress · 07/05/2023 11:34

How long ago was the last inspection and have there been any major changes since then?

MasterGland · 07/05/2023 11:42

This is the case with a few 'outstanding' secondaries in my area. Ten years is a long time to go without an inspection, as many of them have. Many of these schools are being downgraded, however, when Ofsted finally show up. What is staff retention like?

Original poster
devongal1975 · 07/05/2023 11:47

It was last inspected in 2014 however from what I can gather from talking to parents whose DC went to the school around that time the school has always been like this. I have been to the headmaster and goveners and the bullying continues to get worse. They don't care essentially. They are a disgrace. I am looking at changing schools but the school are constantly persuading me not to, because they think of themselves in such an arrogant way that they believe all other schools are completely inferior. I'd rather send my DS to an inadequate school; Anything will be better than his current school.

OP posts:
Original poster
devongal1975 · 07/05/2023 11:49

Staff retention is terrible, the teachers are changing all the time. The head is leaving after being in charge for 4 years. Most teachers don't stay longer than 2 years

OP posts:
Theseboobsweremadeforwalking · 07/05/2023 12:09

Ex secondary teacher here, I mostly agree with you. A lot of schools will exclude misbehaving kids in time for an ofsted inspection, I also taught in a school where I was sexually assaulted by a pupil and when I raised it I was bullied out. This school was outstanding and to my knowledge still is. There was also sexual abuse of pupils by other pupils there. Behaviour in general was bad. I should have pushed these issues further up the chain but at the time they made me beleive that speaking out would destroy my career, life etc. A school with high staff turnover and an outstanding rating would be a huge red flag for me. Im not saying yoir sons school is like this but it does sound badly run. I personally have found that a school with a consistent 'good' rating with good staff retention is a good sign and probably safer for your son by the sounds of it if you can move. Please don't bash the teachers though- sounds like they're also struggling and you're hearing teenagers opinions about them, teens are not fans of most teachers ime.

Original poster
devongal1975 · 07/05/2023 12:27

I have personally met with many of the teachers and they didn't seem indifferent to what my son described them as. It does seem that a lot of them swear a lot, 4 sweared when talking to me, they're very casual which surely is the sign of a disastrous and badly run school. Looking back I should have listened to the people I know who sent their children here before, the school has always has a bad reputation where I live, there's plenty of stories of it being above Ofsted so to speak as well as having serious issues. I should have listened to them... I thought it's outstanding it must be good, they must be lying. They were completely right.

OP posts:
FrippEnos · 07/05/2023 12:37

So report to Ofsted and force another inspection, then make sure to fill in all of the surveys that Ofsted want you to fill in.

Original poster
devongal1975 · 07/05/2023 12:45

I have alerted Ofsted to the school's many problems before: they have taken no action despite me pleading for an inspection. Inspections won't change anything, the reason I want the school inspected is to feel relieved it has finally got what it deserves which is an awful report, in the hope others won't make the mistake of sending their children here.

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 07/05/2023 12:50

Have you logged a formal complaint with the Board of Governors and the LEA?

Singleandproud · 07/05/2023 12:53

You are focusing on the entirely wrong thing. You appear to be focusing solely on getti g one over on the school and getting them their just desserts rather than supporting your DC through what sounds like a hellish time. Take your boy out of the school and move him elsewhere.

Then when he is settled pursue Ofstead. Getting the school a more appropriate grading isn't going to get your son a better school experience, change won't happen overnight either if they do get a bad grading.

Semtee · 07/05/2023 12:56

What do you mean by swearing? What did they all say to you?

Original poster
devongal1975 · 07/05/2023 13:05

Regarding the swearing: Two Staff members said the F word to me as they had forgotten something. Another said the S word with regards to my son's work. "Some of the work he's been doing lately has been -- to be quite honest." And the other said that "There's some little b--rds in his class who mess about." I think this is all disgusting. I am going to phone the headteacher soon and tell him I am taking my son out permanently. As always when i've threatened to take my son out, he'll try and convince me the school is the best in the county and he'll have a worse time elsewhere. Typical scaremongering tactics to defend the school's reputation. I don't care what he says, I will be taking my child out of that school and he can't try and manipulate me anymore then.

OP posts:
ladyfromslough · 07/05/2023 18:21

Sounds terrible, the definition of an inadequate school. That is not normal.

ItsBeenOneWeek · 07/05/2023 18:40

While I accept why you are saying what you are, grades have a huge impact on schools. You’d have to have lived under a rock recently to not have heard about Ruth Perry. Being rated inadequate can have devastating- quite literally- affects on the school, it’s staff, it’s students and the community.
the school you are describing hasn’t been inspected for nearly ten years. The grade is meaningless in that context so I understand your point.
like others, I suggest you focus on your child and their needs.

EduCated · 07/05/2023 21:16

Have you enquired about spaces at other schools? That is your first step to moving, unless you plan to home educate. If you do, then you just send a letter to de register (Google for templates) - you don’t need to have a phone conversation.

evermorr · 07/05/2023 22:17

@devongal1975 the Ofsted regime has completely changed since 2014. I expect your school will get a drubbing at its next inspection. So yabu - Ofsted inspections do mean something, so long as they're recent.

Seaswimm · 07/05/2023 23:32

I don't know much about Secondary as have mainly taught primary but it seems like leadership teams can be experts in a sort of 'corporate' style of showing OFSTED what they want them to see.

PerSeer · 08/05/2023 03:22

You should stop trying to fix the school, and take your DS elsewhere. Quietly, without any threats. His physical and metal health should come first. Then when he is safe and secure, you can spend whatever time and energy you have left to fix the school…

Oblomov23 · 08/05/2023 05:23

I too can't grasp why you are trying to fix this school, rather than focusing on your son.

Whataninsight · 08/05/2023 05:38

Uffculme?