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A parent who helped fight the forced academisation of King Edward VII School has had her views about the usefulness of the Ofsted inspection process shared by the Education Committee’s inquiry into Ofsted’s work with schools.

The inquiry – which was launched by an influential group of MPs in June 2023 – aims to assess how well Ofsted is fulfilling its role in inspecting schools and whether and how it could be improved, to inform the work of the incoming His Majesty’s Chief Inspector.

The inquiry is looking at the impact of Ofsted judgements on schools and pupils, including the impact on workload and wellbeing for all members of the school community, and the usefulness of Ofsted inspections for schools and parents.

The submission, made by Emma Wilkinson before the forced academy order was revoked, highlights how the initial Ofsted inspection judgement in January 2023 “was a shock to many parents” and triggered an automatic compulsory academy order that the school, parents and wider community did not want.

In her written evidence, Emma touches upon several key points that formed the crux of the KES – The Future campaign including the unhelpfulness of single-word judgements, the lack of confidence adults have in Ofsted judgements as highlighted by a YouGov survey, inconsistencies between Ofsted inspection teams, and Ofsted’s lack of independence and unsupportiveness to the school, parents and the community when academisation is forced, and the extraordinary lack of transparency about how Ofsted judgements are made.

“We were told the only way to turn a school found to be Inadequate around is for it to become part of a Multi Academy Trust. I cannot find evidence to support this position. In addition, King Edward VII leadership did in fact address the issues found and made the necessary changes in a short space of time. This whole saga raises serious questions about the validity of the initial report and consistency between inspection teams. I strongly believe a far more useful and constructive approach would be to provide schools with guidance on how they can improve and support them to
make necessary changes. The current punitive system, is not consistently applied, causes untold stress and does not appear to help anyone.”

I would like to conclude by talking about transparency. I can’t speak for the school who also said they were unclear how judgements were reached. But when parents tried to complain to Ofsted and find out more about how judgements had been made, we were told that as parents we didn’t have a close enough relationship to the school to comment, which seems extraordinary. When we tried to use freedom of information requests to learn more – for example how many pupils had been asked if they feel they can speak to an adult about problems and how that question was phrased – we were denied en masse and I don’t believe any of the requests were considered properly.

“This judgement had profound consequences for our children’s future education depending on academy trust selected (over which parents or the school had no say). It could impact everything about our children’s school day from the subjects they learn to the extra-curricular activities offered, from the budget the school had to spend and the values our children are taught yet we were not allowed any more than the briefest of information about how this judgement had been reached. With the same lack of transparency from the Department for Education, parents have been completely in the dark throughout this process. Yet we are the ones who are most invested in the future success of a school.”

Nearly 500 parents and families have signed an open letter to the Education Secretary Gillian Keegan calling for the academy order placed on King Edward VII School to be revoked.

In the open letter, they write: “This past school year has been a very unsettling and stressful time, which the whole community has worked incredibly hard to address. At the very start of this process, the majority of surveyed parents said they did not want forced academisation.

“It is therefore vital that the decision to revoke the academy order is made quickly and communicated to the school and parents to put an end to this uncertainty. We look forward to a resolution of this matter before the end of term.”

The call follows the recent reinspection of the school in which it was found to ‘good’ in all areas.

The school has already applied to have the academy order revoked in light of its improved rating, with the support of Sheffield’s Labour MPs. Read the Sheffield Star article here.

Sheffield MPs are calling on Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to revoke the academy order to force King Edward VII School to become an academy.

The move follows the publication of the latest inspection report – in which the school was judged ‘good’ in all areas.

In a collective display of strength, Olivia Blake MP (Hallam), Paul Blomfield MP (Central), Louise Haigh MP (Heeley), Clive Betts MP (Sheffield South East) and Gill Furniss MP (Brightside and Hillsborough), urged Gillian Keegan to review and rescind the forced academisation as a “matter or urgency”, citing Department for Education guidance on “schools causing concern”.

This guidance, which was updated in October 2022, stipulates that the Secretary of State has the power to revoke an academy order under “exceptional circumstances”, including where “the maintained school has been re-inspected by Ofsted and judged Good or Outstanding.”

The MPs’ comments, which praised the “tireless work” of the school leadership, staff, pupils and parents in achieving its good status, echoed those shared by Headteacher Linda Gooden in a letter sent to all parents announcing the recent inspection results and updating on the academy order.

The letter referred to the latest Ofsted report which states that the “arrangements for safeguarding are effective” and that “leaders have taken robust action to address” the concerns that were raised at the last inspection.

She also set out the consequences of the latest ‘Good’ rating, which means that the School is no longer eligible for intervention under sections 61 and 62 of the 2006 Education and Inspections Act.

As a result, a formal letter of application to the Regional Director and The Right Honourable Gillian Keegan, Secretary of State for Education, to request that the academy order is revoked had been submitted by Linda Gooden and the Governing Board.

Linda Gooden also noted that School had made “rapid and sustained change in order to secure a good Ofsted judgement” and has “the high quality leadership capacity to continue to improve as a successful School”.

At the end of her letter, she also paid tribute to the parents and carers who have provided “immense and unwavering support”, thanking them on behalf of the Governing Board and staffing body for their “strategic focus, relentless support, resilience and determination to assist the School that…[they]… know so very well.”

You can read more about today’s developments in the Schools Week article here.

BBC Breakfast highlights damage of one-word judgements on school communities.

Parents of King Edward VII School have spoken out about the devastating impact Ofsted one-word judgements have on school communities.

The comments, broadcast on BBC Breakfast on Monday 12 June, formed part of a wider piece looking at the implications of changes to the Ofsted inspection framework.

As a result of the changes, from now on Ofsted will revisit schools in England judged ‘inadequate’ due to safeguarding concerns but found to be good, or better, in other areas, within three months of the report being published.

But for schools such as King Edward VII School, which were judged ‘inadequate’ based on safeguarding alone prior to the fresh changes, the one-word grading placed it in a process of forced academisation. This is despite the school being rated ‘good’ in many other key areas.

Ever since parents, carers and pupils, together with the school and its Governing Body, have been kept in the dark about the consequences. This is because forced academisation means neither the school, its Governing Body or parents and carers have any say in decisions that will impact on the school or their children’s futures.

However, a ‘closed doors deal’ to join King Edward VII School with Brigantia Learning Trust in April spotted by an eagle-eyed parent led to a collective challenge. This led the Regional Director of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Advisory Board, who acts on behalf of the education secretary, to first defer, and then pause sponsorship activities.

Another parent, Emma Wilkinson, agreed: “This has just really cemented for me that the Ofsted report doesn’t really reflect what the school is and everything that the school is about.”

The parents’ concerns were in marked contrast to HMCI Amanda Spielman’s comments about the value of the current Ofsted inspection process. She told the BBC “that parents value the simplicity and clarity of the outcomes they get”.

The results of the recent fully graded inspection of King Edward VII are expected to be published shortly.

To read the BBC news article click here. To find out more about the changes announced to the Ofsted inspection framework in England click here.

Campaigners earn ‘pause’ to forced academisation as Regional Director’s office confirms process will take stock of fresh Ofsted inspection

A “pause” to the academisation of King Edward VII School has been announced today (12 June).

In a message sent to parents and carers, Headteacher Linda Gooden revealed that the Regional Director of the Yorkshire and Humber, who acts on behalf of the education secretary to force maintained schools into multi-academy trusts when they are judged ‘inadequate’, would now be “paused”.

The pause follows a recent monitoring visit conducted by Ofsted on 23 May. This visit immediately led to a subsequent fully graded inspection, suggesting that improvement was evident in the ‘inadequate’ areas and the school is on a trajectory towards seeing that rating lifted.

The news comes hours after immediate changes to the Ofsted inspection system were announced. Under the new rules, and at the discretion of the education secretary, schools such as King Edward VII School who are deemed ‘inadequate’ for reasons of safeguarding can have their academy order revoked if a quick reinspection within three months of the original inspection demonstrates they have made the necessary improvements.

Key points from the meeting with the Deputy Regional Director last Friday outlined by Headteacher Linda Gooden:

• Explained that further sponsorship activities (i.e. comparative analysis of additional multi-academy trusts) had been paused.
• Noted that the Regional Director and her team will await the publication of the final report for the School, so they can understand the outcome and detail from the inspection, before considering the next steps in the process.
• Noted that the pausing of activity ‘will include not progressing the directive Academy Order
  issued to King Edward VII School on 12 December 2022, and therefore not taking any further decisions on potential sponsors until the publication of the official OFSTED report.’ The Regional Director and her team will continue to work closely with me, and a further conversation will take place, once the final report has been published.

Parents and carers, who have been campaigning to save the school from forced academisation, recently sent an open letter, signed by 200 parents, to the Regional Director asking for the process to be paused.

The frontman of one of the most successful bands of the 1980s has sent a video message of support to parents battling to save his old school from forced academisation.

In an exclusive message recorded for The Star, Joe told campaigners: “Hi, I’m Joe Elliott from Def Leppard, and I used to go to King Ted’s – or King Edward’s. And I’m on your side.”

Speaking to The Star by video call, Joe said he had signed the 3,130+-name Hands Off KES petition to oppose his old school – Sheffield’s last local authority secondary – being forced into academy status.

“If so many people are getting so emotionally involved in trying to stop this happening to the school then those people should be listened to.”

“Nobody has called any town hall meetings about this, nobody has involved the parents, or the teachers, all the parties who should be involved. Which is why I agreed to sign the petition. I wish the campaign all the very best.”

Joe Elliott, Def Leppard and ex-King Edward VII pupil

Read the full Star article here

DJ Toddla T (aka Thomas Bell) has become the second celebrity star to back the KES – the Future campaign and say no to the forced academisation of King Edward VII School.

The Music Producer and Songwriter, who attended the school from 1996 to 2001, told the Sheffield Star he was “lucky to be where I am” and said “I could argue I wouldn’t be without King Ted’s.”

In a personal interview with the Sheffield paper, he laid bare details of his ADHD diagnosis and his experiences as a student growing up in Park Hill and Norfolk Park and what it was like to attend a school which looks after children from his community, Firth Park, from inner city Broomhall to more affluent families. He describes his time at the school as an “education in real life” and a “unique melting pot, a proper cross section of society”.

He also points out his own experiences would have been different if he was in a similar situation to the children attending the school today confronted with a one-size fits all style of multi-academy trust management, and how its non-uniform policy had been a ‘big deal’ to him.

“I came out of my house and I set off to school, just a young man trying to get by, and I was myself. Lobbing a uniform into that would have added to how much I wasn’t happy.

“I would hate to think of anything changing at King Ted’s that would stop another young Tom Bell growing up on Park Hill from experiencing all that.”

 “Your teenage years are some of your most impactful and, 100 per cent, why I am sitting here today feeling so blessed is because King Ted’s was part of my journey.”

Click here to read the full story.

Celebrity singer-songwriter, filmmaker and comedian Graham Fellows – who is best known for his comic creation John Shuttleworth – has thrown his weight behind the campaign to save King Edward VII School from forced academisation.

Graham, who attended King Edward VII School from 1970 to 1977, is now one of the 3,100+ signatories added to the petition calling for an end to forced academisation, which he signed with the following words:

“I used to attend the school and know how great it is – as it is!”.

In an article published in the Sheffield Star, Graham shared his own fond memories of teachers that inspired him at King Edward’s and said he didn’t like academies, recalling his son George’s experience of when Cordeaux School in Louth became Cordeaux Academy.

“The academy system is based on private enterprise and profit before education, and it is wrong. I don’t like money being put before education. I don’t like academies. For a start it’s an American word and it feels American.

“How can a school get better by becoming an academy? Most of the time the people running academies aren’t even teachers but businesspeople. I absolutely endorse the campaign to prevent it happening to KES.”

Read the full story here.

A letter sent to parents and carers from the Headteacher today (5 May 2023) provided the following update on the forced academisation of King Edward VII School.

The Headteacher attended a meeting at 2.00pm today, Friday 5 May 2023, with the Regional Director and the Deputy Director. The Chair of the Governing Board, Dr Peter Dickson, and the Vice Chair of the Governing Board, Mrs Kate Williamson, also attended this meeting.

Key points from the meeting
The Regional Director:

• Explained that restrictions, with reference to the local elections, had been lifted so the
  Department for Education could update the School regarding sponsorship and the
  decision making process
• Explained that she has deferred the decision regarding the sponsorship of King Edward
  VII School
• Will conduct a comparative analysis of additional multi academy trusts
• Confirmed that she has looked at all the communications she has received from the
  School, parents, carers and external parties
• Noted that the earliest point at which the sponsorship of King Edward VII School will be
  considered by the Regional Advisory Board will be at its June 2023 meeting, or possibly
  the July 2023 meeting
• Noted that the Chair, Vice Chair and the Headteacher would be notified in advance of the meeting
  

The Headteacher reported that she asked the Regional Director if the comparative analysis that she will be conducting will be within Sheffield i.e. local multi academy trusts. The Regional Director acknowledged that a number of local MATS would be considered. A further meeting will be convened in the future.

An open letter signed by more than 200 parents and carers in less than 24 hours and sent on 3 May to Alison Wilson, Regional Director, Yorkshire and Humber, is calling for a halt to forced academisation of King Edward VII, School. Click on the image below or link here to read the Sheffield Star article in full.