Troubled school ‘likely’ to come out of special measures

Following an inspection in January 2011, Ofsted inspectors said that Mexborough School in South Yorkshire was “failing to give learners an acceptable standard of education” and needed to be put into special measures.

As a result, Doncaster Council’s cabinet committee then suspended the governing body’s powers as regards finance and staffing, until March 2012 at the earliest, and also said the school should be made an Academy.

At a meeting next week, cabinet members are now set to return those powers to the school, due to the “substantial progress” it has made since the damning inspection last year.

This comes after it was agreed that the school will be made an Academy in April 2013.

In the report set to go before cabinet committee members at the meeting on Wednesday, October 10, officers say that Mexborough School “has made very good progress in tackling the issues of concern that were highlighted in the January 2011 Ofsted inspection.”

The report adds: “The school has been the subject of four HMI inspection monitoring visits.

“The school’s GCSE results have significantly improved in 2012.

“As a result of the progress being made, it is likely the school will come out of special measures in the very near future.

“Given the continuous progress being made by the school and the Minister’s decision to issue an Academy Order, maintaining the suspension of the governing body’s delegated powers can no longer be justified.”