King Alfred School’s head teacher says strategies are already in place to address several issues raised in a ‘disappointing’ Ofsted report this week.
As reported here by Burnham-On-Sea.com, the school has been rated as ‘inadequate’ in five areas including overall effectiveness.
Headteacher Denise Hurr told Burnham-On-Sea.com that she and her staff are “committed to addressing the issues in the report,” which judges the school to be inadequate.
She adds that there have already been changes in teaching and to the curriculum, and expertise brought in to improve the evaluation and monitoring of students’ progress.
“I’m sure everyone involved with the school will be disappointed,” she said. “But we are already moving forward and I am confident that the whole school community will continue to pull together to make the improvements that are needed.”
The local Education Authority has arranged for the Clevedon Learning Trust to support the King Alfred School in delivering the post Ofsted improvement work. The Executive Headteacher, John Wells, is now working alongside Mrs Hurr.
Mrs Hurr said: “We very much welcome the assistance which I know will accelerate the rate of improvement. This is a school at the heart of its community with a strong ethos of care and respect, these are great foundations on which we will build.”
Ofsted inspectors visited the school in April and the resulting report acknowledges the positive impact of recent changes. It notes some recent improvements in teaching, curriculum changes and the good attitudes shown by Sixth Form students. The Ofsted team also noted the positive impact of the school’s Be Proud Plan on the experience of students in the classroom. This plan enables staff and students to work together on a clear set of expectations, focusing on high quality learning and student leadership.
However, it also identifies variable quality of teaching, disappointing GCSE exam results and a need for teachers to have higher expectations of their pupils. It highlights various areas in need of improvement, including evaluation, behaviour and careers advice.
A spokesman for Somerset County Council said: “The Council is committed to working with King Alfred’s to bring the rapid improvement that everyone wants to see. We have arranged for extra support and have every confidence that it will help take the school in the right direction.”
The school’s special measures status means it will become part of a Multi-Academy Trust. Details of the arrangements are yet to be finalised, but it will allow the school to benefit from support from other high-performing schools and good practice. The full Ofsted inspection report can be found on the school’s website.
