Ofsted issues fresh update on school deemed to have 'failed pupils'

Leaders at an independent school in Liverpool 8 remain confident they can continue to turn its fortunes around after a highly critical Ofsted report last year.

Education inspectors identified a number of shortcomings at Progress Schools on Upper Warwick Street when they carried out an investigation last October. It was said at the time leaders had “failed pupils” who were “not inspired to learn” and the curriculum offered was poor.

Following an unannounced monitoring visit in July, Progress Schools officials said they are confident the right progress is being made to turn fortunes around.

Progress Schools is a provider of 13 independent secondary schools, located throughout England, supporting local authorities and mainstream schools to work with young people who require an alternative approach to their education. Many students have been diagnosed with SEND/SEMH or are awaiting diagnosis, and/or have been excluded from at least one mainstream school.

In October, Ofsted officials said officials had been “too slow” to remedy shortcomings in the curriculum, meaning pupils did not learn well. A report detailing the follow-up assessment said: “The proprietor body has ensured that leaders have made progress in resolving the weaknesses identified at the standard inspection.

“They have held leaders to account for their actions and their impact in addressing the unmet standards.” The document added how some progress had been made around resolving some weaknesses but there remain some unmet standards.

It said: “However, leaders have not completed all of their planned actions to improve the curriculum and the effectiveness of teaching.”

The Department of Education required the school to prepare an action plan but this was ultimately rejected. After issues around safeguarding were raised, in which October’s inspection identified the school did not have a “strong culture” around safeguarding, the July visit found leaders have taken “urgent and effective action to address the weaknesses found at the standard inspection.”

The report added: “Leaders have ensured that all staff have had appropriate training so that they understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. Staff follow the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures as intended.”

Responding to the Ofsted inspection, Charlotte Barton, managing director of Progress Schools, said: “The monitoring visit carried out in July 2023 was welcomed by our colleagues, and we felt that we were able to demonstrate how, since the appointment of a new leadership team within the school, we have started making good progress in the areas identified in the previous full inspection. The Inspector noted that in areas such as spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, and welfare, health and safety of pupils, we are now meeting the required standards.

“She also noted that progress had been made in our quality of education, and leadership and management, towards meeting the inspection standards. While we fully acknowledge that more progress needs to be done in these two areas in order to fully meet the requirements, I am confident that by the time of the next inspection, we will be fully meeting all standards, having now launched a new curriculum in September 2023 which was shown to the inspector but could not form part of this monitoring inspection.

“We remain committed to providing the most appropriate levels of support to our students, and the impact of this is evidenced in the likes of our Positive Points system, links with enrichment partners and our students' success, both academically but emotionally as well.”

Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the Echo Daily newsletter here

Win £100 worth of groceries at Aldi in celebration of 1,000th store opening