by The NSC » Mon Feb 03, 2014 7:14 pm
A long time ago, in the summer of 2009, I had the idea for what is now the Bolingbroke Academy, after a conversation with a neighbour about the lack of a local secondary school. We then were very lucky to find ourselves in the right place at the right time over the coming months, enabling the school to open in Sept 2012. Today I have no connection with the school.
In terms of its first OFSTED report, as a previous poster has said, its ok but not great. It would have been good to see at least one of the categories judged 'outstanding'. Even Toby Young managed that with his Free School. Equally, while its great to see the bottom of the tail making 'rapid progress' (kind of why ARK was established, closing the attainment gap), its a shame to see the 'gifted' kids are not being stretched. This is touched on a couple of times in the OFSTED report.
What I don't think helps at all, is the fact that ARK has a majority control of the schools governing body. The current Chair for example works at ARK. Generally turkeys don't vote for Xmas and personally I think this is a weak link in the ARK model. There is no meaningful external oversight on what the head and SMT are doing. In effect its a closed shop.
So in school parlance, a respectable 'B' with a 'could do better'. Which is pretty much what the OFSTED report says I think.
Jon De Maria
A long time ago, in the summer of 2009, I had the idea for what is now the Bolingbroke Academy, after a conversation with a neighbour about the lack of a local secondary school. We then were very lucky to find ourselves in the right place at the right time over the coming months, enabling the school to open in Sept 2012. Today I have no connection with the school.
In terms of its first OFSTED report, as a previous poster has said, its ok but not great. It would have been good to see at least one of the categories judged 'outstanding'. Even Toby Young managed that with his Free School. Equally, while its great to see the bottom of the tail making 'rapid progress' (kind of why ARK was established, closing the attainment gap), its a shame to see the 'gifted' kids are not being stretched. This is touched on a couple of times in the OFSTED report.
What I don't think helps at all, is the fact that ARK has a majority control of the schools governing body. The current Chair for example works at ARK. Generally turkeys don't vote for Xmas and personally I think this is a weak link in the ARK model. There is no meaningful external oversight on what the head and SMT are doing. In effect its a closed shop.
So in school parlance, a respectable 'B' with a 'could do better'. Which is pretty much what the OFSTED report says I think.
Jon De Maria