What has gone wrong at Kennet School? Options

[On the edge]

Not that I hold any flag for what they call a profession, who'd be a teacher? Everyone knows your job and to succeed you can only follow the traditional Victorian model. Certainly no room for innovation. That might have been OK once, but now, were year on year the quality of the input drops, time for a change.

Arguably, it's what's at bottom of the barrel causing the problems, but when the bottom layer increases in size, then what?

[motormad]

I can tell you Simon, that misbehaving during Ofsted inspections was punished more severely than normal.

And there were definitely inspections before when I was there.

[Berkshirelad]

here is the Ofsted report.




It's confusing that Ofsted says the school wasn't previously inspected so perhaps someone can throw some light on that.

It's because the school did not exist at the time of the previous inspection.

On other words, for the previous inspection of Kennet School, it was an LA-maintained school. It is now an Academy

[Berkshirelad]

I can tell you Simon, that misbehaving during Ofsted inspections was punished more severely than normal.

And there were definitely inspections before when I was there.

also, under a previous OfSTED regime of giving notice of inspections, the known troublemakers would find themselves either on a short term exclusion or educated off-site (trips, etc) for the duration of the inspection

[Simon Kirby]

It's because the school did not exist at the time of the previous inspection.

On other words, for the previous inspection of Kennet School, it was an LA-maintained school. It is now an Academy

But it claims to have been graded "outstanding" - who gave it that grading if it wasn't inspected?

[motormad]

it was rated outstanding before it became a free standing academy.
it was still the same school. it's semantics.

[Berkshirelad]

But it claims to have been graded "outstanding" - who gave it that grading if it wasn't inspected?

At the previous inspection - when it was an LA school - it was graded outstanding.

In 2011, it converted to an Academy, outside LA control. This latest inspection is the first inspection of the Academy.

OfSTED regard the Academy as an new school, hence - in OfSTED-speak - it has not been previously inspected. In the real world, it was previously inspected, but the LA maintained school has since closed

[Simon Kirby]

Are academies inspected in a different way or is an academy inspection comparable with a state school inspection? Is the inspection report available somewhere for when Kennet was a state school?

[Berkshirelad]

Are academies inspected in a different way or is an academy inspection comparable with a state school inspection? Is the inspection report available somewhere for when Kennet was a state school?

Same inspection regime.

Previous report here

Note, it says "closed"

[Andy Capp]

I seem to remember reading that some so called 'superheads' would find things more challenging these days because school appraisal would focus less on the 'esoteric' subjects and more on the classic subjects. Perhaps that is a part of what happened here?

[Berkshirelad]

I seem to remember reading that some so called 'superheads' would find things more challenging these days because school appraisal would focus less on the 'esoteric' subjects and more on the classic subjects. Perhaps that is a part of what happened here?

A part of what happened is that extra money was given to all schools for 'pupil premium' pupils and Kennet could not produce evidence of improved attainment as a result of having this money.

Pupil premium is for all pupils who have or have ever had in the last 6 years free school meals (called Ever6) and a lesser amount of money for pupils who have (or have had in the last 3 years) service parents (called Ever3)

Also that there has been a steady decline in results over the past 3 years

[On the edge]

Wouldn't it be great if the same question could be asked of our other local public services? Have you delivered the stated benefits for the money you've been given?

[dannyboy]

You are welcome to your opinion, but I am telling the truth. Take a bit of trouble to look at the source document rather than the NWN's interpretation. It's on the Ofsted website for everyone to look at. I shouldn't be accused of being a liar just because I'm the only person on this thread to have bothered to do that.

you'll find that on this forum if you have a POV which isn't negative or in some way detrimental towards the subject under discussion, then you'll be automatically accused of having a vested interest in the subject so as to negate your views.

[Andy Capp]

you'll find that on this forum if you have a POV which isn't negative or in some way detrimental towards the subject under discussion, then you'll be automatically accused of having a vested interest in the subject so as to negate your views.

And an effective filter it is too.

[dannyboy]

And an effective filter it is too.

If it make you feel better, I guess it is. It works both ways though.

rather lame though.

[Andy Capp]

If it make you feel better, I guess it is. It works both ways though.

rather lame though.

In ziggy's case, I suspected they had connections that were along the lines of being a teacher or partner to a teacher elsewhere, or something. Whether or not ziggy is, is irrelevant anyway; facts are facts regardless. The purpose of my comment is that ziggy appeared to speak from authority and was making references that were not in the OP. I was simply pointing out that if they were closer to Kennet than the rest of us (being a teacher would be one way), then they will have access to information more readily. I made no insinuation of bias. In actual fact, my posts were more in support of Kennet and ziggy's anyway.