Issue - meetings

Report ED15111

The Portfolio Holder introduced a report that provided an update of recent Ofsted and school improvement activity across the Borough.  Since September 2014, there had been Ofsted Inspections of Poverest Primary School, Worsley Bridge Primary School and Blenheim Primary School.  In its Ofsted inspection, Poverest Primary School had been rated as ‘Good’, with its early years provision rated as ‘Outstanding’.  The result of the inspections of Worsley Bridge Primary School and Blenheim Primary School had not yet been published.  The Ravensbourne School had received an Ofsted Inspection on 30^th September 2014, and had been rated as ‘Good’.

Members were advised that 51% of Bromley Primary Schools had now converted to academy status, with 57% of all schools across the Borough now academies.  It was expected that a majority of the remaining Local Authority maintained schools would convert to academy status by September 2015.

Intensive support was currently being provided to Mead Road Infant School by the School Improvement Service following the resignation of the former Head Teacher.  Intensive support was also being provided to Holy Innocents RC Primary School by the School Improvement Service and a National Leader of Education through the Roman Catholic Diocese.  A new staff team was in place at the school, which included a number of highly experienced teachers.  Unvalidated data suggested that the school was now achieving good attainment results, and the school was working to move towards academy status as part of the Roman Catholic academies group.

An issue had been identified in the Chislehurst area around a number of junior schools that had chosen to become primary schools following conversion to academy status, with some infant schools no longer having associated junior school places.  Work was being undertaken to address this issue and it was hoped that there would be a creative solution to address this problem to meet the demand for places.

In response to a question from the Chairman, the Head of Schools, Early Years Commissioning and Quality Assurance confirmed that the Local Authority had no statutory duty to provide support to academies but did seek to build links where possible.  A meeting would be held with the regional commissioner in November 2014, and the outcome of this would be reported to the next meeting of Education PDS Committee on 27^th January 2014.

RESOLVED that recent Ofsted and school improvement activity in the Borough be noted.