Education inspectors see improvements at school where drastic action has been taken to improve behaviour
St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy in Whiston
A Merseyside school that suspended more than two hundred of its pupils in around three weeks has said its tough approach on behaviour is working after a positive visit from Ofsted inspectors. The ECHO reported back in July that bosses at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy in Whiston had taken drastic action in order to “raise the bar” of what was expected from its pupils.
Leaders said they had decided if the school was to move beyond its current Ofsted rating of ‘requires improvement’, then major changes were needed to address behaviour issues among students.
A range of new disciplinary policies would see pupils suspended and sent home if they repeatedly refused to follow reasonable demands from staff.
The initial numbers were eye-watering, with a total of 99 suspensions handed out in the first week of the new approach coming in. Week two saw 67 suspensions and week three saw 36. School bosses pointed to this downward trajectory as a sign that students were starting to understand what is now expected of them.
And now it appears that Ofsted has backed the approach, following a monitoring visit to the school in July. In a letter to the school, the watchdog said its “leaders have made progress to improve the school”, while acknowledging that “some aspects need further improvement.”
In the letter, Ofsted points out the school has seen various changes to its leadership team, which have unsettled staff. The ECHO has reported on the fact headteacher Lee Peachey and deputy Anna Kenny have been mysteriously away from the school since last summer, with no explanation for their prolonged absence. Clare McKenna is the current acting headteacher.
Under Ms McKenna’s leadership, Ofsted said the school has overhauled its special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) provision and appointed a range of specialist staff. For the first time in many years, the school is now fully staffed.
The letter praises the acting headteacher, saying that under her stable leadership the school has begun to build better relationships within its community, where trust had been damaged.
On the subject of behaviour and discipline, Ofsted said new policies had been brought in to “address the poor behaviour of a minority of pupils.”
It added: “Initially, this led to a spike in the number of suspensions. Even so, the total number of suspensions this academic year, for all groups of pupils, has decreased.
St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy in Whiston
“While this policy is not fully embedded, some improvement in pupils’ behaviour is evident. There is a calmness that pervades the school. Pupils are aware of the school’s high expectations of their behaviour.
“Fewer pupils contravene the school’s rules. There is less disruption to learning in lessons. Typically, pupils learn undisturbed. They are beginning to appreciate that the school has their best interests at heart.”
While pupil absence rates remain high, the watchdog said there was evidence that school leaders were working to address this – working with parents to help them understand the importance or regular attendance.
Responding to the monitoring update, acting headteacher Clare McKenna said: “We are really pleased that the inspection team concluded that St Edmund Arrowsmith (SEA) is still moving forward with pace and purpose.
“They found that we have “overhauled” our provision for children with additional needs, they note that we are fully staffed for the “first time in many years” and praised the steps being taken to ensure that all of our pupils are meeting the expectations we have for behaviour.
“They note, for example, that improvement in pupils’ behaviour is “evident”. They found there is a “calmness that pervades the school” and that there is “less disruption to learning in lessons”.
“We are particularly proud of the comment that it was noticeable students are “beginning to appreciate the school has their best interests at heart”. Difficult decisions have had to be made to help us continue on the journey we are on – but everything we do is to support our young people to thrive.
She added: “There is more work to be done, and we are not shying away from that. Absence rates continue to be stubborn, there are inconsistencies in practices and we need to help our young people build their confidence and resilience.
“What we hope this report shows is that we are systematically addressing the areas that need focus. As the inspectors have said, we are making “headway” at all levels.”
Andrew Dawson, CEO of the Pope Francis Catholic MAT which runs the school said: “There is much in the report that we are proud of, but we are most pleased that the inspection team recognised that we are not taking short cuts or putting in place quick fixes as we address some of SEA’s historic problems.
“The report states that we are collectively “bringing about improvements in a sustainable way” because we are putting in place the building blocks that will ensure that this school flourishes for years to come.
“This does not mean that our path is always the easiest one, but it is the right one and it is bearing fruit.
“It is also important to acknowledge our parents and community. The vast majority have embraced what we are looking to achieve, and they deserve praise for their support and understanding. A school is a community, and building that community is vitally important to us.”