A SECONDARY school has been slammed by inspectors for leaving pupils ‘not fully prepared to take their place in modern Britain.’
And according to Ofsted, those attending Waterhead Academy, ‘have been failed for far too long.’
The Huddersfield Road establishment has been deemed inadequate after a visit in October – and the report paints a grim picture if what life there is like.
In its summing up, Ofsted simply write: “Pupils are not getting a good deal at Waterhead Academy,” before going into further detail.
Behaviour, language used, teachers’ expectations and the curriculum taught are all not spared any sympathy.
And pupils told inspectors that is the norm now.
The report adds: “While many pupils behave well in lessons, the poor behaviour of a significant number of pupils is accepted as the norm by staff and leaders.
“For example, pupils’ behaviour on corridors, outside at breaktimes and at lunchtimes is unruly. Pupils’ learning is often disrupted because of noisy corridors and pupils’ lateness to lessons.
“Staff and pupils lack any confidence in leaders’ ability to improve pupils’ behaviour. Pupils are sometimes exposed to foul and abusive language, as well as name-calling.
“Occasionally, pupils also experience homophobic and racist language. Some pupils told inspectors that they have come to accept that this type of behaviour is their daily experience of school life. Many pupils said that they are ‘fed up’ with the situation.
“Trustees, executive leaders and school leaders have overseen a decline in the quality of education that pupils receive at Waterhead Academy. Pupils have been failed for far too long.”
Attendance is also an issue at Waterhead Academy, particularly the response to lateness or even absence.
And the end results do not offer much hope for those leaving as Ofsted add: “Many pupils truant from lessons or choose to enter classrooms late. This happens frequently because leaders and staff do not do enough to challenge pupils when they choose to truant from lessons.
“If staff do challenge pupils about their absence from lessons, they are either ignored or subjected to pupils’ disrespectful comments.
“The curriculum is inadequate. It lacks ambition for pupils. For example, leaders have not made sure that pupils in key stage three have access to the full range of national curriculum subjects.
“Pupils are ill-prepared for the demands of key stage four. Previously, leaders’ lack of aspiration has been reflected in the low proportion of pupils choosing to follow the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.
“Many pupils lack the literacy and numeracy skills that they need to succeed in further education, employment or training when they leave the school in Year 11.
“As a result, pupils are not fully prepared to take their place in modern Britain. This is due to a legacy of low aspiration and ambition.”
Waterhead Academy, part of the South Pennine Academies Trust, was deemed as requiring improvement in 2019.
But this latest inspection has come with a stern instruction for those in charge – act now.
The report continues: “Some pupils are exposed to homophobic and racist language. Behaviour on the corridors and around the school site is unacceptable.
“Too many pupils truant from lessons regularly. Staff do not routinely challenge poor behaviour, because they lack confidence in the policy and practice of managing behaviour
“Leaders must act with urgency to ensure that staff have the confidence and expertise to tackle poor behaviour.
“Leaders have not ensured that staff have the confidence to deliver the wider personal development curriculum as effectively as they should.
“This means that some pupils do not understand the impact of the derogatory language that they use or why it is inappropriate.
“Leaders should ensure that staff are well trained to deliver the wider personal development curriculum so that all pupils learn about the impact of their words on others.
“Having considered the evidence, we strongly recommend that leaders and those responsible for governance do not seek to appoint early career teachers.”
The Ofsted report did mention positive changes being made but said it was too early for them to really take effect.
And acting principal at Waterhead academy, James Wilson, told Saddleworth Independent: “Waterhead Academy is a thriving school community with talented and creative young people.
“My first act as principal was to undertake an honest appraisal of the school and understand its strengths and weaknesses.
“The assessment informed a 100-day plan that is already underway to make significant improvements to all areas of the school.
“The recent Ofsted inspection raises several issues that we are quickly addressing. We are working with all key stakeholders to provide a high-quality education for our students both within the classroom and beyond so that students can achieve the best academic and broader outcomes to achieve their ambitions.
“Things are changing for the better at our school, and we’re working closely with parents, carers and students to create positive change.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.