Horrified - kids schools got REALLY bad ofsted report

paulofessex

MortgageMamma wrote: »

Hi All

I'm looking for some advice on what to do next.

The OFSTED report for my childrens school has just been released and the school has been graded inadequate and unsatisfactory on every single point. I'm in shock after reading it, and I'm not quite sure what to do - do I withdraw them and put them in a better school or wait until ofsted have implemented their "special measures" and see what happens?

My situation is I have a year 3 daughter who is to say the least a bit brighter than she should be for her age - the report says that bright children are not challenged enough

I also have a Y1 Son who has dyspraxia and needs a bit more attention to help him out. The report says that Y1 children are not achieveing national standards and the lessons are poor, task focused and unstimulating...

I saw an SENCO at the school last October as my sons occupational therapist recommended he got 20 hours support a week. This still hasn't happened despite me asking his school teacher every fortnight or so whats going on nobody has got back in touch with me. I've been worried about this for a while now - but his teacher said he was attaining his benchmark standards and I shouldn't worry (obviously before the report was issued)

The school is the only one in my village and I have a daily 20 mile round trip if i put them in the next towns schools.

What do you think I should do?:(

A recommendation from the OT is not enough, a statement of needs is required to ensure additional support is put in place, however the school may struggle to secure funding for the 20 hours so don't be suprised if less is given.

alm721

paulofessex wrote: »

A recommendation from the OT is not enough, a statement of needs is required to ensure additional support is put in place, however the school may struggle to secure funding for the 20 hours so don't be suprised if less is given.

Just agreeing really, you will not get any support on the ot's say so. To get anything like this a formal assessment needs to be done and if appropriate a statment put in place. This should state what your son needs and the school have a duty to provide it. It's usually ed phys that request a formal assessment but you can ask for one yourself (mumsnet is a good place to start for advice).

This would worry me far more than the ofsted report. I suspect you have heard nothing from the school about it because they've done nothing. As a teacher and as parent of a special needs child I can tell you that you will need to push to get extra help for your son. Do not sit back and think they will just give him extra ta time, it won't happen.

As has been mentioned the new ofsted criteria have changed massively and lots of schools are being caught out and special measures does mean things will be put in place quickly,l so I'd not worry too much about it at the minute and see how things progress.

[Deleted User]

Both my children go to the same primary school. My older son who has ASD (including Dyspraxia) hated the school and the school let him down very badly, in spite of my best efforts to sort things out.

Now the school was put on special measures a couple of years before my son started there.., new head apptd and it made a massive turn around. Its now the best school in the area and is vastly over subscribed each year by people wanting their children to go there. However, it still let my older son down badly.

I have no hesitation in putting my younger son in there tho. It is a very good school, it just wasn't good for special needs kids.

I have gotten around the short fallings in the education system (which are everywhere, regardless of the school) by backing up the school education with me teaching them at home. Both my children are bright (in spite of the ASD my older one has) and both need a little more than their schools can give, for various reasons. I do that by being in contact with the teachers, helping with homework, finding out where they need help or want extra teaching. Schools provide a far wider curriculum than I could. I just act as back up to meet my children's individual needs. Any parent can do it. And it works, both children are far above their age range and I don't 'hot house' them at all. I see it as just something mum's can do to enable their child to reach their potential. In an ideal world schools would give each child what they need as individuals but lol, this is the real world. It takes a lot of time and thinking time but its definitely worth it.

MortgageMamma

thanks gals and guys I really appreciate your thoughts its been a great help

I suppose looking at it in the cold light of saturday morning my kids ARE very happy at the school and they have lots of friends and I wouldnt want to change that.

My year 3 daughter is doing well as far as her reports are concerned and my Y1 son only seems to struggle with handwriting and maths,

I don't work and I probably won't for another 2 years at least as I am having another baby and want to be a SAHM for a bit, so I think the idea of giving them a little extra work to "top up" what the school is doing is a good solution. I'm just wondering where to start to get learning materials and does this cost a lot of money?

I can't afford private tuition as they all have private music lessons and that costs enough as it is but if I could tap into some cheap or free resources then that would be great

As for getting involved with the school I don't mind that at all. I have free time on my hands but I just don't see what help I could be other than assisting with say reading and art with the younger children and I'm sure they will have people doing that already

Any suggestions from you teacher types?

travelgran

Schools can supply help, though not as much as 20 hours, without a 'statement'. They are funded to do so. In fact some support from school is usually a pre-requisite of going towards a statement as you are trying to prove that despite the school's best efforts the child is not making progress. Certainly the LEA I worked for would expect to see considerable input from the school before seriously considering a statement, and would offer the school help to put appropriate support in place.
You can contact the 'Parent Partnership' workers who can support you in meetings with the school etc. Also every school has a 'special needs' governor.
Good luck!

dizziblonde

MortgageMamma wrote: »

I don't work and I probably won't for another 2 years at least as I am having another baby and want to be a SAHM for a bit, so I think the idea of giving them a little extra work to "top up" what the school is doing is a good solution. I'm just wondering where to start to get learning materials and does this cost a lot of money?

There's a thread on here somewhere (you might have to dig for it) that's called something along the lines of "the great teaching resources hunt" - I know it was bumped up recentlyish. Has a lot of links on it for various websites etc that you can use.

BBC has lots of educational flash games etc on it,
another I use a lot is http://www.mrnussbaum.com/ - can be quite americany but some of the games for things like tables are really really good. Most of my other links are on my work laptop unfortunately.

Jo.G

Our school received a bad OFSTED report a few years ago and I too was shocked.
My son was very happy there and the school has a lovely ethos and feel to it. As with your report, OFSTED said the brightest children werent pushed enough and although the results from Stats in Y2 were very good and on par with national levels, the same kids in Y6 hadnt progressed as they should. I think the results for that years Y6 kids were 60 ish % in all three subjects.
Our school wasnt quite bad enough to be put into 'special measures', but it was twinned with another well performing school.
The biggest change I noticed was that the children were streamed into small groups according to ability, and they didn't have their class teacher teaching them the whole time. The school seemed to use the staff to their best abilities and strengths too. If one teacher out of the two year groups was better at literacy, then she would take literacy sessions, the same with numeracy.
Within 12 months, the school had turned around. If the school is put into special measures I think OFSTED do interim checks and I'm sure we had a another full OFSTED report 12 months later. The Y6 Sats results the following year were excellent and were all in the 90+%.
The quick turnaround makes me think that the original report was somewhat harsh. We still have the same head, deputy head etc. The sad thing was that one of the teachers decided to retire. She was a more 'old school strict but fair' type and had been there when I attended the school. I think she just thought that teachers have so many targets, rules and regulations to meet these days that many cant just do their job the way they would like to and teach!

Anyway, although I was shocked at the bad report, my son was happy at the school and I'd always been happy with the teaching he'd received and the school as a whole. My youngest son is now at the school too and they both love school. I've never had a day when either of them have been upset and not wanted to go. Sometimes, especially in primary school, I think having a child who simply enjoys going to school and feels happy and secure there, is the most important thing.

As other posters have said, sometimes a bad report is the kick up the behind the school needs. After all, it can only improve.

Running_Horse

I would be worried. We viewed a lot of OFSTED reports when deciding where to house hunt, and the common factor is the encouraging-softly-softly-PC language used even for obviously failing schools with terrible results. If they haven't sugar-coated their language, then it must be pretty bad. As to what you can do; probably not much apart from vigorously monitor every aspect of your child's education, and let the school know of any concerns you have. Most people do not have the luxury of being able to switch their child to another school, and have to accept and work with what they have.

Mme.Hibou

There's a fabulous thread on here that I know a lot of home schooling parents use (and some for just extra resources) It's worth subscribing to and checking some of it out.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/561004

HRV

Some advice given here is not strictly correct. Your child can be getting 20 + hours support without a statement! (although the funding process varies from LEA to LEA) Your son obviously does need some extra help and I would second the advice to put you concerns in writing to the SENCO, head and governors (ask at the school office and they will give you the names of the Special needs governors and chair of governors).

I think you will see dramatic changes in the school (and probably some staff turnover) in the next year- a school in special measures will be inundated with LEA support (they dont want failing schools either) and OFSTED will be back soon. Stick with it if I were you and your kids are happy it will likely to improve rapidly.

Having taught in 2 schools that have been in notice to improve/special measures they will be pushing staff hard and recruiting senior leaders and teachers who have proven record of teaching/improving these schools.

Unfortunately alot of schools who have a 'good' starting point for the children (ie. they come in above or inline with national standards) dont make the progress expected as they can become complacent, whereas a school with very poor intakes who may still achieve below or at national standards can be providing a fantastic quality of education. League tables just don't demonstrate this!

I'd say stick with it but chase up the support for your son:)