A TROUBLED school has been placed into special measures after receiving the lowest rating of ‘inadequate’ during its latest Ofsted inspection.

The performance of St Aldhelm’s Academy in Herbert Avenue, Poole, which was inspected in October, has been described as having ‘declined substantially since the previous inspection’ in October 2012 and rated then as ‘requiring improvement’.

Key points in the new Ofsted report, which was sent to parents yesterday , include that ‘typically up to five classes are taught at the same time in one of several large classrooms’.

Other damning findings are: Teaching is inadequate because teachers’ expectations of what students are capable of achieving are not high enough.

Students’ literacy and numeracy skills are not sufficiently developed.

Teachers do not check students’ learning routinely in lessons and teaching staff are not planning suitable work for the different abilities they teach meaning the students are not engaged or challenged enough.

In 2014, just 17 per cent of the Academy’s students achieved five or more GCSE passes from A* to C, including English and maths.

  • The quality of marking is not good enough to help students improve their work. Too much is unmarked or ticked with a brief comment.
  • Sixth-form students are not being well prepared for employment, apprenticeships or to continue in education.
  • Procedures to ensure teachers meet performance targets are not in place.
  • The academy does not take effective action to ensure that all students including the most able, disabled students and those with special educational needs are given equal opportunities to reach their potential.

However, Amanda Bibby, interim principal, whose lead sponsor is the Diocese of Salisbury, said the Ofsted report had highlighted ‘challenges’ already identified by staff.

“The governors and senior leadership team were well aware of the issues and challenges and had already put in place robust measures to move forward, so this is exactly in line with the academy’s self-evaluation.

“We are already on our way with making an impact. We know what needs to be done and are moving on it.”

St Aldhelm's Academy: a catalogue of problems

Other points in the 10-page report include that students’ behaviour is ‘inadequate’ and ‘leaders and managers have not demonstrated the capacity for further improvement’.

Tony Moore, chairman of governors, said: “Amanda was appointed the interim principal and the governors have appointed Richard Schofield as interim executive principal. The reason for him being brought in is because he has vast experience of working in schools that are challenging and need improvement.”

‘We’ll support them’

Vicky Wales, head of children, young people and learning at the Borough of Poole, said: “We will support the Department for Education and Regional Schools Commissioner to improve outcomes for all students as a matter of urgency as they work with the principal and governing bodies of the academy to deliver their long-term vision for the school.”

Conor Burns, Bournemouth West MP, said: “This is a bad report and there’s no disguising that reality. However, it’s not unpredictable.

“I’m confident that the urgent measures necessary to turn around the situation at St Aldhelm’s are already well advanced and will become clear in the weeks and months ahead.”

‘I have no doubt it will be good’

Jan Hunt, a parent-governor with one daughter, said: “I am seeing the bigger picture and am confident enough that my son will also be coming to the academy in September 2015. I have no doubt it will be a good school.”

Amanda Kelly, parent of one student in Year 7, from Parkstone, said: “My daughter just finds it hard because there is a lot of noise in the classroom. I guess we will just wait to see if they sort things out, but my daughter goes into the academy quite nicely and seems to be happy.”

Another parent, who asked not to be named, said: “A lot of it is down to the individuals and on paper the Ofsted report looks worse than in reality.”

St Aldhelm's Academy: the catalogue of problems 

OFSTED’S damning verdict is the latest in a catalogue of problems for the Herbert Avenue school.

St Aldhelm’s was Poole’s first-ever academy when it opened in 2010 under the guidance of sponsors the Diocese of Salisbury and Bournemouth University.

As Rossmore Community College it had been given a notice to improve by Ofsted in 2008.

But in summer 2011 the academy hit the headlines when it notched up the country’s worst-ever GCSE results, with just three per cent of pupils achieving the benchmark five A* to C grades including English and maths.

Results have improved since then – 28 per cent of pupils achieved the benchmark standard in 2012 and 31 per cent in 2013.

But despite this progress, the school still has the worst results of any in the Bournemouth, Poole or Dorset council areas and the 31 per cent figure still left the academy in the bottom 50 secondary schools in England.

Its official GCSE pass rate for 2014 is not yet known, with the academy confirming only that 98 per cent of students had achieved at least one pass between A* and G.

To make matters worse, the academy also has serious financial troubles.

Earlier this year, the Daily Echo revealed how staff at St Aldhelm’s had fallen prey to an email scam with the result that £1.1million was taken from a school account.

The school was served with a financial notice to improve by the Department for Education.

Soon afterwards, principal Cheryl Heron left St Aldhelm’s Academy and was replaced by interim head Monica Cross.

Then, a fortnight ago, the chairman of governors sent a letter to parents informing them they would shortly be announcing a new sponsor and had restructured the Academy’s leadership team ahead of this.

This confirmed Amanda Bibby as the new interim principal, while Richard Schofield will take up the post of executive interim principal from January.