New head seeks to reassure concerned parents after school rated ‘inadequate’
HE HAS ALSO THANKED PEOPLE FOR THEIR ‘SUPPORTIVE MESSAGES’
THE newly-appointed head of a troubled Derby secondary school has written to 90 parents who contacted him with “146 valid questions and concerns” following the publication of its ‘inadequate’ Ofsted report.
Phil Smith took over at Chellaston Academy within days of an inspection by a team from Ofsted in May following complaints to the education watchdog about the situation at the school.
The team placed the school in special measures and concluded that the quality of education, leadership and management and pupil behaviour and attitudes were all “inadequate”. Only the sixth form provision was said to be “good”.
The inspectors said that the 1,725pupil school had “widespread failures in the leaders’ work to keep pupils safe” and that many pupils feel unsafe “because of the poor and inappropriate behaviour of other pupils”, with the inspectors being told the same thing by parents and members of staff.
Mr Smith, who signs himself “proud executive headteacher”, was previously head at City of Derby Academy – another school in QEGSMAT, the trust which also runs Chellaston Academy.
He said: “I understand the community’s concerns, not only from the perspective of an honest leader, but also as a parent myself. I also appreciate that there will be members of the community who are angry, frustrated and still have doubts, and I hope that the details I am providing reduce some of those anxieties.” He acknowledges that staff and leaders at the school are “disappointed” with the report and “are already working tirelessly to resolve these shortcomings as soon as possible”. Following the Ofsted inspection, the school’s governing body resigned, but Mr Smith has reassured parents that he will be meeting 18 members of the community who have shown a desire to establish a new governing body at Chellaston.
He also alludes to the fact that a number of staff are leaving the academy, but that these resignations had taken place before the Ofsted inspection.
Mr Smith said: “I can reassure the community that the colleagues who have left have either been replaced or are in process of being replaced.
“Chellaston still gets competitive interview fields, enabling us to appoint quality practitioners.
“As with all staff, there are robust and developmental induction programmes
as well.”
Behaviour came under scrutiny in the Ofsted report with inspectors quoted as saying: “Disrespectful behaviour and wilful disruption to lessons distract pupils from learning”.
Mr Smith has told parents that current behaviour protocols are being reviewed, and that from September there will be a head of year and a non-teaching deputy head of year in years seven to 11 to enable pupils to be better supported.
Prior to the Ofsted inspection, teachers had complained they were “on their knees” because of bad behaviour, and the blame for this had been put on a number of pupils who had transferred to Chellaston after being at risk of exclusion from their previous school.
In his letter, Mr Smith said that there were a couple of concerns raised about students who have joined the academy.
He said: “In all schools there are young people with a range of additional needs, including those with complex needs. I do not believe the rhetoric following on from the press release is accurate.
“All of the students who attend Chellaston are our students. It is our job to ensure that the correct provisions and support are put in place.”
Mr Smith has told parents that there will be some physical changes at the school, including modernising the toilets which he says are “not fit for purpose”.
He continued: “Strategies and plans have already been put in place to modernise the toileting facilities and allow them to be more open plan with a cubicle design.
“In addition, with increased supervision/monitoring I am confident that concerns will reduce quickly. With increased supervision we will also be able to embed effective reparation and restorative action for our students who demonstrate unwanted behaviours.”
And from January, there will be an updated system for entering and exiting the school site “after some concerns were highlighted with the gatehouse at the front of school and the staffing of this”.
The school is looking to introduce a rewards system and also set aside more time for reading. The school library is to be reopened and pupils will be able to access it before, during and after school.
Mr Smith added: “In my short time at Chellaston Academy, I have already experienced so many positive and amazing things. I can clearly see why our students excel in the sixth form and I also believe that examination outcomes will remain high with level two qualifications.
“I passionately believe that this is the best job in the world, and I am committed to improving the life chances of ALL of the students at Chellaston Academy both in the short and long term.”
Some parents have called for a face-to-face question and answer event, and Mr Smith has offered to set up individual meetings with them in September. The first monitoring visit to see how the school is improving is expected to take place later this year or early in 2023.
All of the students who attend Chellaston are our students. It is our job to ensure that the correct provisions and support are put in place. Phil Smith