Head is key to improving St Sampson’s
‘INADEQUATE’ is not a rating anyone wants to see on a school inspection report, especially when it relates to your own child’s school.
Yet the word appears alongside not one, not two, but three categories in St Sampson’s High’s Ofsted report, in relation to quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. And the ‘requires improvement’ rating for the remaining category, personal development and welfare, is hardly likely to bring comfort to concerned parents either.
How did this happen?
As Education president Andrea Dudley-Owen acknowledges, such a deterioration in standards does not happen overnight, so quite how long pupils will have been subjected to such a substandard education is unclear.
But if any silver lining is to be found in this situation, it lies with the head teacher.
Vicky Godley was credited with pushing through major improvements and cultural change when she headed up La Mare de Carteret High. Ten years ago, only 11.5% of students at that school managed to achieve the standard measure of five or more A-C grade GCSEs including English and maths. Under Mrs Godley’s leadership, results improved and the school went on to receive glowing reports.
Worried parents will be watching carefully to ensure she fulfils her promise to bring St Sampson’s back up to scratch too.