Walsall special school delighted with Ofsted turnaround
A special needs school in Walsall which was in special measures just a few years ago is celebrating a remarkable transformation.
Jane Lane School on Churchill Road has been rated as ‘good’ by Ofsted inspectors who praised the positive turnaround in fortunes and described it as a place where children felt ‘happy and safe’.
This is a far cry from November 2018 when an inspection saw the school rated as ‘inadequate’ which was followed by a further deterioration and even resulted it in being shut due to pupil safety fears as a result of long-term staff absences.
Things came to a head in 2019 when parents and campaigners staged placard-waving protests outside Walsall Council House demanding action from the authority.
Among the measures put in place to provoke positive change was setting up an interim executive board (IEB) led by headteacher Christine Fraser.
Follow-up visits by government inspectors highlighted improvements being made with the latest report giving Jane Lane the second highest rating.
Mrs Fraser said: “Jane Lane School is on the journey towards outstanding. Whilst we were delighted with the ‘Good’ rating, we are always looking to further improve the educational opportunities for our pupils.
“It is impossible to summarise the team work that has gone into improving the educational offer at Jane Lane School.
“Engaging closely with the IEB and the local authority, we have worked tirelessly to improve the safety, curriculum, assessment processes and accredited courses offer.
“In addition, we place great emphasis on developing our staff. Also, significant improvements have been made to the setting making the school a bright and attractive environment which promotes and supports the learning on offer.”
She added: “Obviously we are pleased with the opening sentences (in the report): ‘Leaders have transformed The Jane Lane School since the last inspection.
“‘It is a place where pupils feel happy and safe. Pupils talk positively about their friendships. They are respectful and kind towards each other'.
“My personal favourite is the quote that I have had made into a banner: 'Pupils enjoy their lessons and speak positively about their education and experiences.'
“Whilst we place a great value on pupils learning, to have it reported that they are enjoying the learning on offer and speak positively about school is really special to me.”
Walsall Councillor Mark Statham, Portfolio Holder for Education and Skills, said: “I’d like to congratulate all the team at Jane Lane school for their ‘good’ Ofsted rating, and for their hard work, dedication, and professionalism.
“This has been a whole team effort, so on behalf of Walsall Council I’d like to say a big thank you to school staff and the council team who’ve been on this journey, especially members of the Interim Executive Board.
“It’s great to read in Ofsted’s report how hard the staff team have worked to improve the educational offer, but what is even greater is how positively pupils are speaking about their learning experience.
“As Christine Fraser says, Jane Lane are on their journey towards becoming an outstanding school, and as the local authority we will continue to work closely with them to continue improving.”
