Councillors suspend governing body of school branded as ‘failing’

Council officers will now take responsibility for the finances and decision-making at Mexborough School Specialist Science College in Mexborough, near Doncaster, following a damning report from education watchdog Ofsted.

Members of Doncaster Council’s Cabinet met yesterday to discuss the report, which has resulted in the comprehensive school being placed in “special measures” and facing an order to improve immediately.

A recovery plan has been drawn up by the authority’s director of children and young people’s services, Chris Pratt, and is designed to produce what he called “rapid improvement”.

Ofsted said that, at present, Mexborough School was failing to give all pupils an acceptable standard of education and called on the local authority to fulfil its statutory duty to take “fast and decisive action” to secure improvements.

Speaking ahead of yesterday’s meeting Mr Pratt said: “We have a lot of good staff at Mexborough School, including a new and experienced headteacher, Mirjam Buhler-Willey, who only started last September and has an excellent track record of raising standards at her previous school.

“We are working closely with Mexborough in order to implement the right support that will assist the school in being removed from special measures in a reasonable period of time.

“In order to provide full support to the headteacher and strengthen governance at the school, I am recommending to Cabinet that they suspend the delegated powers of the governing body and authorise me to exercise these powers on behalf of the council for one year, at which time this will then be reviewed.

“I am confident that with the right support, together with the continued commitment from staff, parents and students, the school can improve quickly and we look forward to supporting that.”

Last night, a spokesman from Doncaster Council confirmed that the borough’s elected mayor Peter Davies and his Cabinet had approved the recovery plan.

The meeting had authorised Mr Pratt and his officers to take over from the current board of governors.