Example press release – school challenges Ofsted inspection result
Staff at are determined to prove wrong a team of Government inspectors who criticised its provision.
Management at Stafford Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) have already introduced major changes to the centre since a team of Oftsed inspectors visited the facility in September and recommended it go into special measures.
Jane Spensley, manager of Stafford PRU, is confident that things will continue to improve, thanks to a new staff structure and close working relationship with Staffordshire County Council.
Stafford PRU, based in Newport Road, Stafford, provides education for Year 7-11 pupils, aged 11-16 years, who have been excluded from their own schools. It also provides support within other schools for pupils in Years 10 and 11 who are at risk of exclusion.
Jane Spensley explained that Ofsted inspectors frowned on the unit’s chequered history, referring to the fact that since it opened two years ago there have been five different headteachers and it has closed on two occasions due to staffing or accommodation difficulties.
However, Jane is eager to stress that she sees her headship very much as a “new broom”. She said: “The Ofsted team acknowledged that I took up the post barely weeks before their visit, so it is fair to say I have inherited some of the problems. But as far as I’m concerned, those problems are historic and we are moving forward all the time.
“I have already put in place some measures to tackle the concerns raised by Ofsted, and myself and other staff are working with the county council to address others.”
Inspectors criticised several aspects of the unit, and gave an “inadequate” rating in areas such as achievement and standards, personal development and well-being, curriculum and other activities, and leadership and management.
However, a number of positives were also identified. Despite the difficulties, one parent wrote: “My son is slowly getting back to being a happy, sociable little boy rather than the subdued and miserable boy he was at his previous school.” In addition, inspectors found:
• Pupils enjoy coming to the unit where they enjoy good relationships with staff.
• The unit makes good arrangements for reducing risk and ensuring safety, and pupils feel relaxed and secure.
• Teachers and teaching assistants work effectively together and there is a calm and productive atmosphere throughout the unit.
• The new headteacher has a good understanding of what is required and there are signs that the unit is beginning to turn performance around
Some of the changes already implemented or soon to take place include:
• A re-organised staffing structure that clearly outlines staff roles and responsibilities
• An extra behaviour specialist has been brought in from a local high school
• The teaching day has been extended so that pupils who need it can have individual tuition
• Pupils are having regular reviews of their progress with targets set for learning and behaviour
• The curriculum is being reviewed to ensure that the needs of the pupils are more closely matched to the teaching offered
• Organisational procedures to improve record-keeping have been strengthened, including the use of electronic registration
Jane continued: “The centre deals with some very challenging pupils, whose educational needs are much harder to meet than those in mainstream schools. In that sense it is natural it will be harder to get results, but we are committed to doing that no matter what.
“We are pleased that the issues highlighted by Ofsted are the ones we had already identified and started to work on. Staff at the centre are very skilled and are committed to bring about the necessary changes to improve. I am very excited about the future prospects and feel that we have drawn a line under the past situation and are steadily working towards improvement in all those aspects raised by inspectors.”
ends