A Donington school has been rated “inadequate” across the board with inspectors saying its pupils “are not prepared for life in modern Britain”.
Thomas Cowley High School, which is to be called the Cowley Academy when it reopens on September 1 after being taken over by the South Lincolnshire Academies Trust, was given the lowest rating in every category by Ofsted.
It had previously been rated “Good” overall following its last inspection in 2017.
This year’s inspection took place on July 5 and 6.
“Pupils are not getting the education they should,” the Ofsted report states. “Leaders offer them a narrow and unsuitable range of subjects.
“The school has low expectations of what pupils can achieve.
“In many lessons, pupils are not challenged. The programme for personal development is not effective.
“Pupils are not prepared for life in modern Britain.”
It continued that “pupils and staff have been let down” highlighting “low aspirations” and lack of subjects including no pupils learning about “computing”.
It also says the “arrangements for safeguarding are noe effective” and “the curriculum does not ensure that pupils learn how to keep themselves and others safe, including when online”.
It describes Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision as “poor” and that “the needs of pupils are not met” and “they do not learn as well as they should”.
The report does say though: “The school is going through a difficult period of change.
“Throughout this, key leaders and staff have endeavoured to make sure that pupils feel cared for.”
Lucy Conley, the executive headteacher of the South Lincolnshire Academies Trust, said the school would reopen classed as a new school next month and that the trust had been brought in to help the school in January amid concerns over its running.
“This report represents the schools present, as it is now, and it’s past as The Thomas Cowley High School … not it’s (sic) future as Cowley Academy and being part of SLAT, which I know will be a far more positive one from September 1, 2022,” she said. “This will bring a much-needed new future for the school.
“It is felt that due to SLAT leading the school from September 2022 any monitoring visits will not be necessary, as it is fully expected that parents/carers and students will see rapid improvement immediately.
“I am confident that at the next inspection within three years that the school will secure it’s rightful Good judgement again, as is the expectation for all of the SLAT schools.
“I can share that sadly the views in the Ofsted report support my own views, and those of the SLAT leaders.
“The report identifies that “students and staff have been let down”, and this is my view too. There are some amazing young people at The Thomas Cowley High School, who deserve a better education and the inspection team commented throughout the two-day inspection process that the students are lovely, to which I fully agree.
“I can also confirm that the current Governors of the school are obviously very disappointed with this outcome and although they do not all fully agree that this judgement truly represents the school, they also accept the report in its entirety and recognise that things do need to change.”
