More resources for Wirral school after its placed on special measures (From Wirral Globe)

More resources for Wirral school after its placed on special measures

10:35am Friday 22nd March 2013 in News By Geoff Barnes

Wirral Alternative Schools Programme - WASP - is to get an injection of extra resources after being placed in the Ofsted category of special measures.

A recent report from Ofsted – the national school inspectorate - rated the programme as “inadequate.”

As a school in special measures, the school will now be subject to frequent inspections by Ofsted.

Inspectors will check the progress of the action plan, and may judge during any inspection that the school has made sufficient progress and special measures are no longer required.

The school - an 80-place pupil referral unit for young people who have been permanently excluded from their education provision, or are at risk of exclusion - will now be subject to an action plan and a period of additional support from Wirral Council.

Councillor Tony Smith, Wirral cabinet member for children’s services and lifelong learning, said: “An improvement plan is in place and we are supporting the school with extra resources to enable it to move out of special measures.

"This includes extra money to help fill vacancies and interim management support.

“Previous Ofsted reports on the school have been very good, and our aim is now to support the school to help it to move out of special measures, and return to where it was.

“I would just like to add that last year, a very commendable 78% of pupils went into employment and training, and that until this particular Ofsted report, all previous reports have been good, so we have a positive foundation to work on.”

The school is run by Wirral Council and local authorities have a statutory responsibility to work with schools in Ofsted categories of concern; as such, the school has already received additional support from Wirral Council.

Julia Hassall, Wirral’s interim director of children’s services, said: “Wirral has a statutory responsibility to ensure that all children have access to a good education and parents rightly expect us to ensure that this is the case.

“The school and the headteacher have an excellent record with Ofsted inspections. However this result was not entirely unexpected; the school has had difficulty in the past year recruiting permanent suitably qualified and experienced staff.

She went on: “An action plan is already in place, along with funding and human resource support to ensure that vacant teaching posts can be filled as quickly as possible.

"On March 6, when we first had notice of the forthcoming Ofsted report, we agreed some revisions to the existing action plan focussing on attendance, behaviour, teaching and learning, and securing a stable teaching team.

“We are also strengthening the management of the school by co-opting additional members on to the board of governors.

“I am very confident that by working with the headteacher and her staff, governors, parents and pupils we can restore standards and confidence at the school.

"I would like to assure everyone concerned of my personal commitment to do so.”