Three Black Country schools given Ofsted downgrades
Three 'outstanding' schools in the Black Country, have been downgraded by Ofsted since new inspections with a greater focus on teaching were introduced, it emerged today.
One of the schools, Moreton Community School in Bushbury, Wolverhampton, was demoted from Ofsted's top rating to its third, 'requires improvement'.
Another two – Windsor High School in Halesowen and St Francis of Assisi Catholic Technology College in Aldridge – dropped from outstanding to good. It comes after major changes to inspections. Schools were warned when the regime changed they were unlikely to retain the top ranking unless their teaching and learning was considered to be of an excellent standard.
New figures published by Ofsted show that since last September, when the changes came into force, 155 schools have been inspected that were rated as outstanding overall, but were less than outstanding for the quality of their teaching.
Of these, 91 have now had their overall ranking downgraded to good, 18 were found to require improvement and two were declared inadequate. Moreton Community School in Old Fallings Lane is among the 18 relegated to the third tier of Ofsted's four-point scale.
Nationally, around 28 per cent, or 44 schools, retained their outstanding rating. Tividale Community Primary School, in Dudley Road West, Tividale managed the feat, as did Old Park Primary School, Old Park Road, Wednesbury.
Christ Church CofE Primary School, in Church Road, Coseley, also kept the top rating, with Devonshire Infant School, Auckland Road, Smethwick. Ofsted said the latest framework for inspections meant that teaching was central to the rating of the school.
A spokeswoman said: "The inspection framework introduced from September 2012 raised expectations. Teaching is central to the life of every school. That is why there should be a close link between Ofsted's overall effectiveness judgement and the quality of teaching."
