THE worst performing secondary schools in England according to Ofsted have been revealed.
In the interactive map It shows almost 400 secondary schools are rated as Inadequate – and of these 209 are in Special Measures and 105 are in Serious Weakness.
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Schools across the country are struggling to get back to normal and have faced huge pressures following the Covid pandemic.
The government’s education watchdog has revealed there are currently 376 secondary schools rated by Ofsted as either inadequate, in special measures or seriously weak.
That represents just over 10 percent of the total of 3,473 schools across the country, it says mail on the internet.
Schools are rated from Excellent at the top to Good, Requires Improvement, ending with Poor.
Once a school is found to be inadequate it can be deemed to have Serious Weaknesses or even be placed in Special Measures.
Among some of the schools inspected, violence and bullying was a recurring theme, with some students saying they did not feel safe going to school.
Others noted that there was insufficient support for students with special needs.
Traditionally, schools deemed outstanding had escaped routine inspections, but concerns about a drift in standards led to the resumption of Ofsted inspections.
In November last year, hundreds of schools previously rated ‘Outstanding’ by the watchdog were downgraded.
Only 17 per cent of schools inspected retained their top rating.
The average time these schools had lost to a full overhaul was more than 13 years.
Last year Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire was the subject of a scathing Ofsted report.
He highlighted repeated failures to monitor his pupils after a rowdy end-of-term party in which a Year 13 pupil collapsed after drinking too much.
A follow-up inspection in October 2022 found that the school had “much improved” and was no longer rated as inadequate.
Bullwell Academy in Nottingham is among the schools placed in special measures following an inspection in October 2022.
Inspectors found problems with the quality of teaching and the level of supervision.
They also expressed concern about the quality of education provided to children with special needs.
Student absenteeism was also a cause for concern.
In a letter to parents in December, the school said it had hired more staff to address issues highlighted and that a further inspection would improve their rating.
Idsall School in Shropshire was inspected in September 2022 and inspectors said: “Many pupils do not feel safe at Idsall School.
“Some say they experience frequent sexual harassment or discriminatory behavior from their peers.
“They’re not confident that teachers will address their concerns, so they don’t report the incidents that happen.”
At The John Warner School in Hoddesdon, inspectors heard: “Most pupils have high aspirations for themselves and value their education.
“However, many are frustrated by the unacceptable experience they receive at school.
“They are particularly frustrated by regular disruptions to learning and bad behavior by a significant minority of students.
“Sixth form students have similar frustrations about how bad behavior affects their school experience.”
Inspectors monitoring Oasis Academy on the Isle of Sheppey heard pupils express their frustration with their experience.
According to their disturbing report: “Many students feel unsafe at this school.
“Some students told us they were ‘fed up’ of being picked on and hurt in the corridors or verbally abused.
“Leaders and staff are doing very little to challenge the vile, homophobic, racist and sexist language that is common on both sites.
“Students have little confidence in leaders’ ability to address any concerns about bullying or discrimination.
“Students don’t feel like they have a voice in this school, their concerns aren’t being heard.”
Earlier Ofsted highlighted problems facing the education system across the country.
The watchdog said: “2023 is already shaping up to be another busy year for schools and further education (FE) and skills providers.
“While none of us can predict exactly what may be around the corner, our annual report, published late last year, identified several challenges that will no doubt continue this year.
“We reported on the ongoing issues of the pandemic, including attendance.
“Specifically, we noted the increasing use by part-time schools.
“Schools may use them with the best of intentions, but students can all too easily be out of sight because they are out of school for too long and it is too often used to avoid legal requirements regarding the exclusion of a student. “
In their annual report, Ofsted wrote: “Perhaps our most reported findings from 2022 were those from our inspections of previously excluded schools.
“The exemption was removed during the pandemic, but we have now been able to inspect 370 formerly exempt schools.
“We found that 83 percent were no longer outstanding.”
A deadline of July 2025 has been set for the remaining Pending Schools to be re-inspected.
The National Education Union has described the Ofsted inspection scheme as unfair and is campaigning for the watchdog to be scrapped.
The NEU said its members were being forced to work extra hours without pay to prepare for Ofsted inspections.
The union said: “The new Ofsted inspection framework is putting increasing pressure on members, particularly key subject leaders.
“It is clear that subject leaders are being asked to take on responsibilities for which they do not receive the necessary non-communication time and for which they are often unpaid and have no contractual responsibility.
“In many cases, this is due to problems with school funding and staffing, which the new framework does not take into account.”
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