Can someone explain exactly what Special Measures is?

[Bomper]

One of my friends has got herself into a real tizz. Her ds didn't get any of his preferences for his Secondary School in September and has been offered at place at a school which at the moment is in Special Measures. She is so upset, and I would like to offer her some comfort, is it always a bad thing? There must be some positives in this?

Our primary was placed in special measures nearly 10 years ago when dd1 had just started. Turned out to be a good thing as the governors were able to sack lazy Head, bring in new broom and within very short time school massively successful and oversubscribed.

It's where ofsted don't think the school are performing to a satisfactory standard. Usually the school would have had many warnings before the special measures thing actually came into force.

It is a bad thing but on the upside, the school now has no choice but to 'pull it's socks up' and start improving. If they don't, they'll get someone in the change things for them.

Feel for your friend secondary school system is such a worry and stress.

That's what I was thinking, it must be a massive butt kick!! Maybe things can turn around.

Yes, it a bloody awful system!! Even worse for her, as all our little group of friends got their first choices except her!!

It happened recently to the "best" school near our old house, the well-thought-of school in an affluent suburb. The Ofsted people thought that the school was too complacent, it had a lovely intake of children from affluent education-oriented families, it got good results, but it was coasting. Apparently. The head wasn't doing much. So it went in special measures. It's still probably the best school in the area by a long way. so special measures doesn't always mean the school is terrible. In this case it meant that it's not doing as well as it should, given its intake.

Unfortunately, in the area I live in, Grammar schools are all fine, and there are some really excellent non-selective schools which everyone fights to get into and the people who lose out get sent to the remaining 3 schools which are all in SM.

Fennel that describes our primary as was, except they weren't getting the results they should have because of lazy head and coasting teachers. The special measures gave the green light to sort this out.

Fennel - the situation you describe sounds almost exactly like the secondary school my dd now goes to. It went in to special measures and the existing head resigned immediately. They got in a temporary "trouble-shooting" head who did enough to get ot out of special measures within one year. The new head who took over just after that has taken it from strenght to strenght.

So basically in this case, as perhaps in some others, it can be a good thing for the school

If it's the school I think you mean Fennel, it was in the Independent a few weeks ago with a new superhead.

When the school gets Special Measures, it is a worry but they then get loads of support from all over. Like already said, they have no choice but to pull their socks up.

If a school was getting satisfactory, they would be left to continue to be a satisfactory school. By going on Special Measures, they are in the spotlight and have to change things and they will improve. All lessons will be scrutinised, staff will be pushed to perform better and the school will also get extra funding.

I have worked in a school that was given notice to improve (just one step up from special measures) and in less than 2 years, the school is close to getting outstanding. Already been graded good, Headteacher is confident it will be graded outstanding next time.

It probably is that one Tinker, I disguised it slightly in my description there but people who know where I used to live could spot it easily

Actually the worst time to be in a school is just BEFORE it goes into special measures.

Special measures gets a school a lot of assistance. It also, usually, causes the Head to resign.

I agree nlondondad, I was actualy dissapointed when the school I used to work in did not go into special measures as we would have got so much assistance. We have been made a national challenge school though so hopefully changes are happening

I once worked in a school in special measures. The LEA got in an amazing head and the staff were all trained intensively. The staff that were there had been hand picked by the new head and she knew what she was looking for. The school was turned around completely within a year - it was an amazing experience.

I dont think special measures means much it means for some reason Ofsted want the school to become an accademy or the school is one that needs to be closed so it can be sold off to help bring in money for an accademy.Why do I say this .
A recent inspection at my childs school .Parents were given questionaires which had to be given in to the school meaning the pupils felt they couldnt say what they really wanted to and the school could just select the best.
the questions were so limiting the teaching in the school is good fair bad agree disagree no room to say its ecellent in art but not so good in the lessons where the teacher dissapears and leaves year 10s and 11s playing games on the computers.No room either to say the exta teachers brought in specially for ofsted are good
Also no chance to complain that pupils are not seeing text books relevant to their courses although one or two have appeared a couple of days before the exams.A lot of parents would be willing to buy the books themselves

I mean shouldnt the pupils get the chance to teach themselves when they constantly do gces for which they havent been prepared.The school hardly ever has healthy food but when ofsted were in it was even being given to pupils staying after school.I also dont get how ofsted select their inspectors who are they .School closed the head becomes an inspector locally and also locally. another school head was an inspector then became a headteacher .BUT THE SCHOOL AN EX OFSTED INSPECTOR IS HEAD OF IS NOW DECLARED TO BE FAILING .But never mind it might become an accademy
ANY WAY the school with few text books teachers not in lessons and unhealthy food got exellent .Perhaps it has something to do with the head of ofsted being married to a labour mp.