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Secondary education

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

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Original poster

Special Measures

17 replies

DooBeDooBe · 28/10/2009 21:24

Our local comp has just been given SM notice.
Please can anyone share experiences about if / how long your school took to recover??? We have 4 yrs untill DC1 will be there.

OP posts:

duckyfuzz · 28/10/2009 21:31

Most schools in SM get support parachuted in usually from a local successful school, sometimes from one further away, generally out of SM within 12 months, sometimes closed and reopened as academy - within 4 years they should be fabulous...

violetqueen · 31/10/2009 09:44

Couple of years to come out of SM and yes ,agree ,loads of support given.

Original poster

DooBeDooBe · 31/10/2009 14:07

So I don't panic then! Thanks.

OP posts:

grownupbabes · 02/11/2009 19:18

Yikes, I taught at a school in SM once. I nearly had a nervous breakdown. It honestly nearly killed me. Avoid at all costs, don't get sucked in by the "improving status" hype.

duckyfuzz · 02/11/2009 19:20

oh that's really helpful 'grownup'

violetqueen · 03/11/2009 08:52

I don't think our reasssurances that school will improve and how awful/how much hard work that will be for staff are mutally exclusive.
Guess you need to look into Ofsted reports ,talk to governors ,parents etc and generally find out more.
The special measures might be more a political move to leave the way clear to make it an Academy,they might be a rather harsh judgement on a school that's not too bad,they might be an accurate reflection on a school that's really failing.
But - 4 years is long enough for school to be much improved - and they will receive loads of money and support.

grownupbabes · 03/11/2009 14:09

Not intended to be unhelpful - just a reflection of another genuine point of view/experience. If you just want to hear "don't worry it will all be fine", why post?

5Foot5 · 03/11/2009 19:27

School DD is at now got put in to SM just over a year before she was due to go.

Actually the exam results were still very good but I think the poor comments were on the management and the fact that bright kids were not being stretched enough.

Anyway, head resigned immediately and, as duckyfuzz described, a temporary head from a successful school was parachuted in and the school was of SM after 12 months.

Quite a few parents of kids in DDs year who might otherwise have gone there (it was a feeder primary) took fright and sent them elsewhere. However, a new head was recruited and all seems extremely well now.

5Foot5 · 03/11/2009 19:28

Should have read out of SM after 12 months

mmrred · 05/11/2009 19:51

Ofsted have recently revised their criteria and they have included some new rules that are very controversial - for example a new focus is 'safeguarding'. One very good school I know was put into SM because they had a piece of incorrectly completed paperwork.

Many previously good schools are being judged as only satisfactory or worse, as another poster says, without any visible change in the results.

seeker · 07/11/2009 15:01

"One very good school I know was put into SM because they had a piece of incorrectly completed paperwork."

I'm sorry, but I think this must be a misunderstanding - it would take more than a piece of incorrectly completed paperwork to put a very good school into special measures.

cornsilkwearscorsets · 07/11/2009 15:06

grown up is right though - I taught at a school in special measures once. It was hard, hard work. Loads of support from LEA, school went from strength to strength then out of special measures. Now it's meant to be in bit of a state again (according to my sources anyway)

mmrred · 08/11/2009 15:43

Sorry Seeker, my mistake - I meant into category eg notice to improve, rather than Special Measures - I just wasn't sure if people would be clear on the difference and didn't have time to explain.

There are now categories with 'limiting grades'; that is, the grade given in that category is the maximum grade the school overall can get. Safeguarding is one of them. So if CRB paperwork is not filled in correctly (for example)then the grade for safeguarding is unsatisfactory, then that is the grade for the school. But they would be given notice to improve, rather than be put into SM.

cornsilkwearscorsets · 08/11/2009 19:27

Yes that is what happens in the new ofsted framework.

Original poster

DooBeDooBe · 10/11/2009 09:43

'failure to safeguard the pupils' was mentioned several times in the report. It is so confusing.
Some parents seem to think the SM is an over-reaction, and the school is ok. Others say the behavour and attitude is awful. Just have to wait and see I suppose. We are semi rural here so don't have much choice in secondary schools.
I would like to think posters on here can express their personal views, whether positive or negative. That is what I want to hear - other peoples experiences. Thank you.

OP posts:

Marney · 13/11/2009 22:31

Ofsted seem to give poor results to schools likely to be made accademys and any already set to be part of the building schools for the future exellent ones.
Having just had a child at a so called outstanding school weve experienced first hand just how awfull a school can be and get outstanding from ofsted.Schools classed as failing are probably letting more children attempt gcses where others would push more onto b techs to claim 4 passes per b tech.Outstanding schools probably give the minimum of learner support as well prefering to concentrate on whatever is the in thing at the time eg your child has low self esteem if they have learning difficulties and now Isuppose with the growing popularity of the word engage its important for your child to engage more with school pupils teachers the enviroment the eco system there must be endless excuses available now the need to engage with has been discovered .Obviously nothing obvious like they might just benefit from some learnig support

stressheaderic · 15/11/2009 19:55

I work in a school which is under a 'Notice to Improve'. I have to say, without doubt, that as staff - we could not do more to make every child get the results they rightly deserve.
Teachers bend over backwards to help children, there are numerous personalised learning plans running, we are all clued up on data, planning is scrutinised regularly, and behaviour is generally good, with a few hardcore exceptions, which again are offered various methods of support.
Complacency has never been part of our vocab - the wolf is always at the door for us. Due to us being in the most deprived borough council in England, with the attendance/lack of academic motivation problems that accompany that, we only ever achieve satisfactory or below.
Ours is a happy school, enjoyed by the majority of its pupils.
The advice I would give would be to try and talk to someone who works there, whether it be teaching/support staff - who can give you an honest impression. Not all 'failing' schools are bad schools, the Ofste criteria just doesn't fit us too well.

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