Minister pre-empts publication of report for Outstanding secondary free school but Bath parents forbidden to discuss damning leaked report

Janet Downs's picture
 5
“I recently visited Dixons Trinity free school in Bradford, which was rated as outstanding …”

Lord Nash 25 March 2014

“It was a pleasure to visit Dixons Trinity Academy and I congratulate the staff and pupils on the publication of their outstanding Ofsted report.”

Lord Nash Yorkshire Post 28 March 2014

But the report hasn’t been published yet. There’s no sign of it on Ofsted’s website (29 March 2014).

It’s common for schools to trumpet Ofsted success before official publication but it’s not so usual for a schools minister to do so.

Meanwhile, parents of Oldfield school in Bath are forbidden to discuss a damning Ofsted report leaked by a children’s charity. Ofsted insists the delay in official publication is because the full report is a draft currently being checked for accuracy.

On a visit to Bristol, education secretary Michael Gove said he knew Ofsted had concerns about Oldfield but stressed the importance of remembering the academy’s pupils had great results. It’s rather like saying, “Forget the inquiry, feel the marks.”
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Comments

Chris Manners's picture
Sat, 29/03/2014 - 13:44

They sure needed a success to trumpet. What's the free school success rate this year?

Not that this is a free school really anyway. They've been running schools for years.

Chris Manners's picture
Sat, 29/03/2014 - 13:45

"On a visit to Bristol, education secretary Michael Gove said he knew Ofsted had concerns about Oldfield but stressed the importance of remembering the academy’s pupils had great results. It’s rather like saying, “Forget the inquiry, feel the marks.” "

Let's see other schools try that one.

agov's picture
Sat, 29/03/2014 - 14:19

"the draft inspection document was not published by Ofsted because it does not convey our final judgement on this school following our inspection in December 2013"


Such a contrast. In my locality governors at a school recently inspected report that it was even more blatantly obvious than usual that Ofsted arrived with the judgements already made.

Rosie Fergusson's picture
Sat, 29/03/2014 - 19:40

leaked letter about Oldfield is here
http://www.fairplayforchildren.net/2014.pdf

Janet Downs's picture
Sun, 30/03/2014 - 08:03

Rosie - the linked letter has actually been published. It's a "no formal designation" inspection report and is on Ofsted's website. The leaked report is longer but has not officially been published. The local paper warned people not to comment on it for legal reasons and not even to post links to the leaked document in its comments.

Since then the same paper has quoted from the leaked report (thanks to David Berry for this link):

However, because it's only in draft form and a final report hasn't yet appeared on Ofsted's site it's perhaps wise not to comment.

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