Headteacher hits out at 'deeply unjust' Ofsted after school downgraded

Woodfield Infant School in Woodfield Avenue, Penn, Wolverhampton, was told it requires improvement following an inspection in December.

But executive headteacher Shelpa Patel has branded the judgement 'deeply unjust' and accused Ofsted of attempting 'to meet external political agendas'.

A report on the inspection published this week said that senior leaders and governors had 'taken their eye off the quality of teaching and learning in the school'.

It was the school's first inspection since its infant and junior schools joined together to form a federation in June 2014.

The report said that some routines for checking pupils' progress had 'slipped', and that high standards seen at the school 'over several years' had dropped in 2015.

"Standards are now rising again," the report added, "but there is still more to do to get academic standards in mathematics back to where they once were."

The report noted a number of strengths, including strong leadership, good early years provision, effective teaching in Year One and 'exemplary' pupil conduct.

The school was given an overall grade three rating of 'requires improvement'. It had been rated as 'good' in its previous inspection.

Executive headteacher Shelpa Patel said the judgement was a shock.

She criticised Ofsted's inspection framework, saying it had "...once again increased pressures on schools to perform to more rigorous and unrealistic expectations in order to meet external political agendas."

Ms Patel took the unusual step of sending a copy of the report to all parents highlighting aspects that Ofsted identified as needing improvement, which she said are 'very few and far between'.

"Whilst we recognise and wholeheartedly embrace continuous school improvement, the whole staff team believe that this inspection judgement was unfair and in many ways deeply unjust."

She added: "Woodfield Infant School is a good school that has improved appreciably since the last inspection in 2010, when it was judged as 'good'.

"Everyone who knows the school well would say that it is actually a better school today than in 2010."

Ms Patel said that staff were 'extremely saddened' that the school would have to 'prove its worth' by going through HMI monitoring visits and another full Ofsted inspection in a year's time.

"This puts undue pressure and stress on staff who already give 120 per cent and do things beyond the call of duty," she added.

Ofsted spokeswoman Kim Tran said: "Ofsted reports without fear or favour. Our inspection findings and judgements are based on sound evidence and go through rigorous quality assurance to make sure that they are accurate.

"In relation to the school, the report clearly identified that there have been significant changes to the leadership team and staff, which has disrupted pupils learning in some classes.

"It also highlights the need for the school to improve academic standards in mathematics."