Trust told to make changes

Chalvey: Funding warning for Grove Academy

The trust which runs Chalvey’s Grove

Academy has been warned it could be stripped of control of the school if rapid improvements are not made.

An Ofsted report published last month rated the Ladbrooke Road school ‘inadequate’ following a damning inspection.

Inspectors found that the behaviour of pupils could be ‘chaotic and dangerous’.

Some youngsters also faced insults from other pupils about their race, gender or sexual orientation, the report added.

Dame Kate Dethridge, a regional schools commissioner at the Department for Education, has now issued a termination warning notice to the Slough Association of Secondary Headteachers (SASH) Education Trust, which runs the allthrough school.

The letter said: “As regional schools commissioner, I need to be satisfied that the trust has capacity to deliver rapid and sustainable improvement at the academy.

“If I am not satisfied that this can be achieved, I will consider whether to terminate the funding

agreement in order to transfer the academy to an alternative academy trust.”

Grove Academy, which has more than 900 pupils aged four to 19, has faced a period of upheaval since opening in 2017.

Pupils were taught in temporary accommodation while they awaited the completion of the new school building in Ladbrooke Road, which finally opened during the spring term of 2021.

Ofsted inspectors have urged the school to review levels of supervision of pupil behaviour, improve record keeping to keep pupils safe and improve curriculum planning to help students as they progress from primary to secondary education.

A statement from the SASH Trust said: “The trust has confidence in the school’s ability to make the required improvements and is committed to enabling the current leadership team, which will be supported by additional capacity, and the staff to take the school forward.”

The trust said further investment has been approved for the school and additional staffing and resources will be deployed to improve the dining areas for pupils.

The trust also highlighted the report’s positive comments on reception, early years and primary school provision at Grove Academy.