Goole ‘excellence’ school is put in special measures

A SCHOOL which calls itself “an academy of excellence” has been found to be inadequate in all areas and placed in special measures.

A highly critical Ofsted report into Goole High School Academy of Excellence has warned that the achievement of pupils, quality of teaching, behaviour and safety of pupils and leadership and management are all inadequate.

However the school has hit back saying it is the latest victim of a brutal Ofsted regime which has seen hundreds of schools be downgraded.

Executive co-head teachers Dave Flowitt and Danuta Tomasz also claimed the judgement was tremendously harsh given the “enormous progress” the school has made.

The report, published yesterday, is the school’s first inspection by the education watchdog since it converted to become an academy in 2011.

It was previously rated as satisfactory during its last Ofsted visit as Goole High School.

Ofsted’s report says inadequate teaching over time and staffing changes have resulted in “significant underachievement” of pupils especially in maths, science and humanities. It criticises teachers’ marking saying this often fails to inform pupils of the improvements that are needed.

Inspectors say learning is too narrow and that emphasis is placed on answering exam questions rather than building up knowledge and skills and applying them.

It warns that attendance rates hamper progress and that attitudes of students to learning are too variable.

It criticises leadership and management for being ineffective in improving teaching and achievement and says improvements that are being made are too slow.

Ofsted praises the school for the progress pupils made in English in 2013 and in BTEC courses. It also said pupils feel safe in the school.

The school is split into three smaller schools. There is a Prep School for pupils aged 11 to 14, and then the Academy and the Training School for pupils from 14 to 19.

It also set up a separate Studio School last year which is not included in this Ofsted inspection.

Goole High School said it saw a “staggering” seven per cent increase in the number of pupils getting five A* to C including English and maths last summer.

Mrs Tomasz said: “Despite the harsh judgement it’s important to remember just how far the school has come. We are a far better school than we were when Ofsted judged us to be a good school and we are going to continue to make sure that we achieve our aim of being outstanding. Nothing is going to deter us from that. We know what we have to do to improve – there are no real surprises in the report and we have already started to address the issues raised.

“Since the inspection, attendance, one of our target areas, has improved considerably and now stands at the highest it has ever been and is very close to the expected national average.”

Mr Flowitt added: “Many other schools locally and nationally have found themselves punished by the new Ofsted framework. But they have all taken the challenge to improve themselves further as a result. We remain resolutely proud of what we have achieved so far and will use this opportunity to transform this school further into one that is outstanding by any inspection regime. Local families have nothing to worry about.”