Y10 DD. Awful Ofsted. WWYD?

[liz4change]

That's it really. It's scathing and I don't disagree.

Previously outstanding school of many years standing.

DD is academic and on track for good GCSES.

Good things about the school: overall culture and ethos, historically high standards, good individual teachers.

Not good: an industrial dispute that has lost about 15 days to strikes this year. New-ish head (2022) replacing a head who lasted 1 year. A feeling of low morale. Some subjects with persistent supply teachers.

DD was in Y6 in 2020, so no SATS, low priority in Y7 and Y8 because of All That. I am so frustrated that they may now be let down at GCSE.

I know switching to another state school at this stage is probably unwise for timetabling/exam board reasons. Am I naive to think that local independents may be better placed?

If your DD was prepared to do some catch up work, I’d be looking to get out now to start at a good private after Easter. If it’s the school I’m thinking of, there are more strikes planned this week, which must be terribly unsettling.

What does your daughter think and want to do?

I'd focus on tutors for subjects lacking teachers.

If you have money I'd do this.

In similar position over longer time period - no state places in other schools and can't do private. DS got out last year with really good grades with just parental - mainly me- help and revision books and on-line resources - he's in the college programs for exception students kind of well.

DD2 I'm more worried about - her entire year seems very young - she's less idea of where she wants to get to - and not sure how much help she'll accept. I think she'll still do well enough for a-levels at college but it is a worry.

Not read full thread. Moving in year 10 may not actually be possible (in terms of target schools); I would not do it in terms of disruption. I think you can achieve a lot by lining up tutors to support her in key subjects, and getting good revision materials in for her (there is a vast swathe of revision guides, and online subscription websites, and online masterclasses). If she is motivated she can do it despite school issues.

Thanks all for your responses it is very much appreciated. I hear the message! Stay put, support, focus.

You say she is on track. Ask yourself what you would be doing and how you would be feeling if there hadn't been an ofsted. If you were previously happy to keep her there then I am not sure why you would change. There is no guarantee it would be better elsewhere. Most secondary schools have plenty of supply as teachers are leaving.

The oP said she agreed with the report. I would bet not all schools are inadequate! They are better. If ofsted confirm what a parent thinks it’s not just got a few issues, and the op clearly knew it was poor and ofsted confirmed it. So she might have looked for solutions anyway.

It sounds like you have money available to fill in any gaps. Make sure you focus on what's important. That's:

• grade 5+ in English & Maths (essential!)
• getting enough high grade GCSEs to get the post-16 place she wants
• making sure she's confident with all the GCSE content required for post-16 courses so she's not having to fill in the gaps later

Schools act like GCSEs are so important but as once as they get you into the next stage they soon become fairly irrelevant (except maths & English).

Industrial action isn’t everywhere. The OP’s daughter has lost 15 days to strike action this year. I am a secondary maths teacher. The pupils I teach have lost zero days to industrial action. Ofsted, though not perfect, is not to be ignored.

Sounds exactly the same as my dcs school. Are you in the North West by any chance I wonder. I have dc in years 9 +11. We're staying put. Ofsted aren't fit for purpose and although i think the school has gone down in standards the pros outweigh the cons for us.

Is it actually graded inadequate?
what about the individual areas?

from what you’ve posted that is not a scathing ofsted in the current context.

Have a look at the parent view website. Pretty shocking. https://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk/parent-view-results

Agree that you shouldn’t move her. She’s on track and doing OK. moving in year 10’is too disruptive.

The school has now had a major kick up the backside and will be focussing resources on keeping up GCSE grades as both a bad report and poor grades will sink the school and its ability to attract pupils. She should get ‘real’ teachers not supply for her classes for year 11, and there will likely be a heavy focus on ensuring best possible grades/extra classes/targeted support - so this ofsted might actually work out to be advantageous for her.

She can then move for 6th form.

So it has a good culture and ethos, high standards and good teachers. But an inadequate OFSTED. What are the specific issues?

One issue that’s not being recognised is that often schools with RI or Inadequate judgement frequently have poor assessment too. DD might not be “on track” at all. The teachers could be a grade or two out and it’s rarely good for the student. If teachers are supply and there have been several of them, I would look at assessment judgements very closely.

See below

If things are really bad and you have the cash, there is the option to move her to a private school that does 1-year GCSEs. Two schools near us do this. Mostly they are aimed at kids coming from overseas to do a prep year before they start sixth form, but there's no reason a British student couldn't do it. I think it limits the number of GCSEs you could take - 6 at one of the schools, and 8 at the other.

We moved our DD from state to independent after a term in year 10, due to bullying. The state school had a bad Ofsted grade and we had wanted to move her previously, prior to the bullying, but she wanted to stay. It seems to have worked out okay and she’s predicted high GCSE grades from the new school, but we’ll see this summer. Obviously slightly different as earlier on in year 10 and because we felt that we had no alternative as the old school was completely uninterested in trying to sort out the bullying.

Another option, particularly if your DC is young for their year, would be to consider redoing year 10 in September in the independent school, if they’ll let you. We could have done this but our DD was doing okay academically despite the failings of her state school.