School is put in special measures after inspection Ofsted slams ‘poor standard of education’
EMMA GILLAND MILO CLAY
ASCHOOL is in special measures after an Ofsted report stated that it is ‘inadequate’ and that pupils have a ‘poor standard of education’.
St Gregory’s Primary, on Albert Road, Bollington, was judged to be inadequate in terms of the quality of education, leadership and management and early years provision.
It was also deemed to require improvement for personal development and behaviour and attitudes.
The school had previously been judged to be ‘good’ by Ofsted following a full inspection in May 2012 and a followup short inspection in 2016.
But the most recent report raised concerns over safeguarding and reading and counting in lower year groups.
It states: “Leaders’ and teachers’ expectations of what pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities should achieve are low.
“Children in early years do not learn to read and count well enough. Older pupils struggle to recall the important knowledge that they have been taught because leaders have not planned an effective curriculum.
“Pupils do not know enough about the potential safeguarding risks that they may face in their everyday lives. They are not taught how to keep themselves safe.
“However, they do trust adults in the school.
“They are willing to share their worries with adults in the hope that they will help.”
The report says that while pupils know about potential risks from playing online games they are less aware of other issues such as sharing nude images and county lines operations.
However, inspectors found most pupils at St Gregory’s ‘enjoy coming to school’ and were keen to share their ideas. It also notes that children learn to play instruments and participate in different sports, as well as visiting local places of interest.
But it goes on to say that pupils talk over each other and the teachers and that the childrens’ understanding of ‘British values are not consistently secure’.
Ofsted found that since the last inspection, St Gregory’s has failed to ‘stem the decline’ in the quality of education at the school.
But the report does state that pupils have access to a range of extra-curricular activities and they learn about tolerance and respect for other people.
A new interim executive headteacher is working with colleagues from the local authority to begin to ‘address these considerable weaknesses’.
The former head teacher left on January 21 and a new chair of governors has been elected since the previous inspection.
“Children in early years do not learn to read and count well enough.”