THE worst performing secondary schools in England according to Ofsted have been revealed – is yours on the list?
Schools across the country have been facing unprecedented pressures recently as they have had to contend with the Covid pandemic and some have found this harder than others.
The government’s education watchdog Ofsted said in a report this week that while schools were making good progress in their recovery some still faced challenges which could have longer-term consequences.
For some schools, the Covid pandemic came at an already critical time as teachers battled to raise standards after a critical Ofsted inspection.
According to Ofsted’s grading system schools are evaluated under four categories:
- · Quality of education
- · Behaviour and attitudes
- · Personal development
- · Leadership and management
Read More on Schools
Schools are graded on a four-point scale – grade 1 (outstanding), grade 2 (good), grade 3 (requires improvement) and grade 4 (inadequate).
There were 63 secondary schools in England rated as inadequate, as of May 3.
However, since the report was written, ratings may have changed and some schools given an inadequate rating may now by waiting on more up-to-date reports.
Schools that have closed or converted to academies but have not had a full inspection since the change are not included on the list.
Parents are also feeling the pressure to get their kids into a good school as they want their children to do better than they did.
A study in 2019 of 1,000 parents and 1,000 children in school years 1-11 found more than one third said their youngsters’ success is so important to them because they want them to do better at school than they personally did.
The secondary schools rated inadequate by Ofsted:
Bedfordshire Central
- Houghton Regis Academy, Parkside Drive, Dunstable, LU5 5PX – Inspected 24 Jan 2019
Bradford
- Bradford Girls’ Grammar School, Squire Lane, Bradford, BD9 6RB – Inspected 14 Mar 2019
- The Holy Family Catholic School, Spring Gardens Lane, Keighley, BD20 6LH – Inspected 21 Jul 2021
- Hanson School, Sutton Avenue, Bradford, BD2 1JP – Inspected 04 Mar 2020
Brent
- JFS, Harrow, HA3 9TE – Inspected 05 May 2021
Brighton and Hove
- Homewood College, Queensdown School Road, Brighton, BN1 7LA – Inspected 07 Dec 2021
Bromley
- Kemnal Technology College, Sevenoaks Way, Sidcup, DA14 5AA – Inspected 17 May 2019
Buckinghamshire
- Khalsa Secondary Academy, Hollybush Hill, Slough, SL2 4QB – Inspected 04 Dec 2019
Calderdale
- ightcliffe Academy, Stoney Lane, Halifax, HX3 8TL – Inspected 07 Nov 2018
Cornwall
- Falmouth School, Trescobeas Road, Falmouth, TR11 4LH – Inspected 02 May 2019
Coventry
- Woodfield, Stoneleigh Road, Coventry, CV4 7AB – Inspected 11 Mar 2020
Derby
- Noel-Baker Academy, Bracknell Drive, Derby, DE24 0BR – Inspected 11 Jul 2018
Devon
- Infocus School, Countess Wear, Exeter, EX2 6HA – Inspected 12 Dec 2019
East Sussex
- St Mary’s School and 6th Form College, Wrestwood Road, Bexhill on Sea, TN40 2LU – Inspected 13 Feb 2019
Essex
- Colchester Royal Grammar School, Lexden Road, Colchester, CO3 3ND – Inspected 13 May 2021
- Notley High School and Braintree Sixth Form, Notley Road, Braintree, CM7 1WY – Inspected 26 Feb 2020
- Tendring Technology College, Rochford Way, Frinton-on-Sea, CO13 0AZ – Inspected 11 Nov 2021
Gloucestershire
- Peak Academy, Drake Lane, Dursley, GL11 5HD – Inspected 30 Jun 2021
Halton
- Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy, Barnfield Avenue, Runcorn, WA7 6EP – Inspected 11 Dec 2019
Hammersmith and Fulham
- Queensmill School, 1 Askham Road, London, W12 0NW – Inspected 17 Nov 2021
Havering
- The Brittons Academy, Ford Lane, Rainham, RM13 7BB – Inspected 04 Jul 2019
Hillingdon
- The Pride Academy, Falling Lane, West Drayton, UB7 8AB – Inspected 08 Dec 2021
Kirklees
- St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy, Oxford Road, Dewsbury, WF13 4LL – Inspected 09 May 2019
Lambeth
- The Michael Tippett School, Heron Road, London, SE24 0HZ – Inspected 11 Nov 2021
Lancashire
- Wennington Hall School, Lodge Lane, Lancaster, LA2 8NS – Inspected 04 Jul 2019
- West Craven High School, Kelbrook Road, Barnoldswick, BB18 5TB – Inspected 27 Nov 2019
Leicestershire
- The Castle Rock School, Meadow Lane, Coalville, LE67 4BR – Inspected 14 Oct 2021
Lincolnshire
- Woodlands Academy, Partney Road, Spilsby, PE23 5EJ – Inspected 18 Nov 2021
Liverpool
- The De La Salle Academy, Carr Lane East, Liverpool, L11 4SG – Inspected 15 Jan 2020
Luton
- Lea Manor High School Performing Arts College, Northwell Drive, Luton, LU3 3TL – Inspected 01 Jul 2021
Manchester
- The East Manchester Academy, 60 Grey Mare Lane, Manchester, M11 3DS – Inspected 12 Dec 2019
- The King David High School, Eaton Road, Manchester, M8 5DY – Inspected 11 Nov 2021
Newham
- East London Science School, The Clock Mill, London, E3 3DU – Inspected 25 Jun 2021
Norfolk
- The Fen Rivers Academy, Kilhams Way, King’s Lynn, PE30 2HU – Inspected 12 Jun 2019
North Northamptonshire
- Huxlow Science College, Finedon Road, Wellingborough, NN9 5TY – Inspected 01 Dec 2021
North Tyneside
- Norham High School, Alnwick Avenue, North Shields, NE29 7BU – Inspected 10 Oct 2018
Northumberland
- NCEA Duke’s Secondary School, Academy Road, Ashington, NE63 9FZ – Inspected 04 Mar 2020
North Yorkshire
- Barlby High School, York Road, Selby, YO8 5JP – Inspected 24 Nov 2021
- Brompton Hall School, High Street, Scarborough, YO13 9DB – Inspected 10 Jun 2021
- EBOR Academy Filey, Muston Road, Filey, YO14 0HG – Inspected 01 Dec 2021
- St Aidan’s Church of England High School, Oatlands Drive, Harrogate, HG2 8JR – Inspected 29 Sep 2021
Nottinghamshire
- Kirkby College, Tennyson Street, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, NG17 7DH – Inspected 24 Nov 2021
- Hall Park Academy, Mansfield Road, Nottingham, NG16 3EA – Inspected 19 Dec 2019
- Harlow Academy, Nottingham Road, Mansfield, NG18 5BA – Inspected 19 Jan 2022
- Sutton Community Academy, High Pavement, Sutton-in-Ashfield, NG17 1EE – Inspected 20 Mar 2019
Oldham
- Oasis Academy Oldham, Hollins Road, Oldham, OL8 4JZ – Inspected 22 Nov 2018
Oxfordshire
- Bishopswood School, Grove Road, Reading, RG4 9RH – Inspected 17 Nov 2021
Plymouth
- Mount Tamar School, Row Lane, Plymouth, PL5 2EF – Inspected 26 Nov 2021
Rotherham
- Newman School, East Bawtry Road, Rotherham, S60 3LX – Inspected 04 Nov 2021
Sefton
- Sacred Heart Catholic College, Liverpool Road, Liverpool, L23 5TF – Inspected 07 Oct 2021
- Savio Salesian College, Netherton Way, Bootle, L30 2NA – Inspected 07 Feb 2019
Somerset
- Sexey’s School, Cole Road, Bruton, BA10 0DF – Inspected 21 Mar 2019
Stoke-on-Trent
- Portland School and Specialist College, Uttoxeter Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST11 9JG – Inspected 08 Dec 2021
Suffolk
- Bury St Edmunds County Upper School, Beetons Way, Bury St Edmunds, IP32 6RF – Inspected 17 Jan 2019
- Ormiston Denes Academy, Yarmouth Road, Lowestoft, NR32 4AH – Inspected 27 Jun 2019
- Thomas Mills High School, Saxtead Road, Woodbridge, IP13 9HE – Inspected 24 Nov 2021
Surrey
- Unified Academy, Chart Lane South, Dorking, RH5 4DB – Inspected 25 Apr 2019
Tower Hamlets
- London Enterprise Academy, 81-91 Commercial Road, London, E1 1RD – Inspected 01 May 2019
Warwickshire
- Nuneaton Academy, Radnor Drive, Nuneaton, CV10 7PD – Inspected 23 Sep 2021
West Northamptonshire
- Daventry Hill School, Ashby Road, Daventry, NN11 0QE – Inspected 07 Jun 2019
- Northampton International Academy, Barrack Road, Northampton, NN1 1AA – Inspected 02 Feb 2022
Wigan
- Dean Trust Wigan, Wigan, WN5 0DQ – Inspected 13 Feb 2020
Worcestershire
- Ridgeway Secondary School, Evesham Road, Redditch, B96 6BD – Inspected 20 Oct 2021
The list comes as the government announced new powers for the Department for Education to close down unsafe and illegal schools.
The DfE said that its work on closing unsafe independent schools until now had been “slow”.
Under the new powers, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi would be able to suspend registration of an independent school where there were “serious safeguarding failings which pose a risk of harm to students”.
Read More on Trending In The News
The DfE said this would enable “rapid action” against unsafe illegal schools, with suspension enforced through a new criminal offence where the school’s proprietor would be held responsible if they kept the school open before it was registered.
Ofsted’s powers to investigate illegal schools would also be boosted, so that the inspectorate could support criminal prosecution in the case of illegal unregistered full-time schools.
