Academies

Academy avoids rebrokering threat until third ‘inadequate’ rating

The leeway given to Nuneaton Academy raised eyebrows, with other academies and maintained schools facing swifter intervention

The leeway given to Nuneaton Academy raised eyebrows, with other academies and maintained schools facing swifter intervention

21 Jan 2022, 15:00

More from this author

The DfE wants to check the 'suitability' of all new academy trustees and members as part of schools bill reforms.

An academy rated ‘inadequate’ three times over the past decade has finally been threatened with transfer to another trust.

The leeway given to Nuneaton Academy in Warwickshire has sparked calls for a level playing field, with other academies and all maintained schools facing far swifter intervention.

Government guidance says regional school commissioners (RSCs) will “act swiftly and robustly where there is failure in an academy”.

Ministers say this is a cornerstone of their academy revolution – failing maintained schools were regularly “left languishing” under councils.

Third time unlucky

Nuneaton Academy was converted in 2010, joining the Midland Academies Trust.

It was rated ‘requires improvement’ in 2012 and ‘inadequate’ two years later. Ofsted criticised teaching and a lack of “urgency” about change, which the trust promised to “accelerate”.

But results slipped further in 2015 and by 2016 it was again rated ‘inadequate’. Ofsted praised progress under new leaders, but repeated its criticism of “weak teaching”.

Yet it avoided rebrokering until a third ‘inadequate’ rating last November when Ofsted said pupils did not learn the curriculum “well enough”.

This month Andrew Warren, the West Midlands RSC, finally issued a termination warning notice.

He said the gap between leaders’ expectations and reality, and the decade of poor inspection ratings, left him “very concerned” about improvement.

The trust declined to comment.

Leeway ‘seems inconsistent’

Andrew Warren
Regional schools commissioner Andrew Warren

Schools Week’s analysis of 29 termination warning notices since 2019 found most followed one ‘inadequate’ rating. One other trust escaped swift threats – the Sprites Primary Academy in Ipswich was warned after its second ‘inadequate’ rating.

While several trusts avoided notices for more than a year after a poor inspection, most delays were attributed to Covid.

Landewednack Community Primary School in Cornwall received a recent warning after one ‘inadequate’ rating last year, the Southerly Point Co-operative MAT school’s first inspection since conversion.

Rachel Holder, its chair of governors, said: “There does seem to be an inconsistency, with some schools given several opportunities to implement changes, whilst others are given no time to show improvements are underway.”

She said RSC scrutiny was  “not unreasonable”, but called for notices to be issued and potential transfers evaluated only if re-inspection showed limited progress. The “unhelpful” uncertainty distracted from improvement efforts, she said.

Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the school leaders’ union NAHT, said that when a school was underperforming, support and expert advice were vital.

“Simply rebrokering does not automatically improve a school any more than academising does. It is the leadership and people in a school that make the difference, not the name over the door.”

Paul Whiteman

More ‘draconian’ rules for maintained schools

Academy transfers remain rare. In 2017-18, just 255 of 7,600 academies moved trust, with about 60 of those the result of government intervention.

Guidance states rebrokering decisions are “on an individual basis”. There is also a contrast to the intervention powers for local authority schools.

While RSCs have the “power” to rebroker failing academies, academising failing maintained schools is a “duty”.

RSC performance goals also include improvement rates for converting schools, but not rebrokered academies.

Anne West, an education professor at London School of Economics, urged more consistency. “Maintained school procedures are far more draconian and don’t allow discretion.”

‘Same energy’ improving all schools

The government has grudgingly allowed schools that turn around poor Ofsted ratings to resist conversion. 

But Yew Tree Primary School in Walsall had to go to court to stop conversion after Covid inspection suspensions removed its chance to show improvement. Jamie Barry, the school’s head, also backed consistency, but said all schools deserved discretion and support, not “automatic changes”.

A DfE spokesperson said RSCs take “swift action”. They work to improve or rebroker ‘inadequate’ academies “with the same energy as we would with a maintained school”.

But they added trusts have effective internal school improvement structures, highlighting 2019 Ofsted figures suggesting more than seven in 10 sponsored academies were now ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.

Latest education roles from

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Lecturer Electrical Installation

Lecturer Electrical Installation

Solihull College and University Centre

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

Beyond exams: why ASDAN’s refreshed qualifications are key to real-world learner success

In today’s outcome-driven education landscape, it’s easy to overlook the quieter, yet equally vital, qualities that help learners truly...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Turbo boost your pupil outcomes with Teach First

Finding new teaching talent for your school can be time consuming and costly. Especially when you want to be...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Inspiring Leadership Conference 2025: Invaluable Insights, Professional Learning Opportunities & A Supportive Community

This June, the Inspiring Leadership Conference enters its eleventh year and to mark the occasion the conference not only...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Catch Up® Literacy and Catch Up® Numeracy are evidence-based interventions which are highly adaptable to meet the specific needs of SEND / ALN learners

Catch Up® is a not-for-profit charity working to address literacy and numeracy difficulties that contribute to underachievement. They offer...

SWAdvertorial

More from this theme

Academies

Academy scandal reports will no longer name offenders

Reports are now 'outcomes' of investigations, as opposed to investigation reports

Jack Dyson
Academies

RISE improvement advisers: ‘best of the best’ or ‘clipboard carrying bureaucrats’?

Who are the government's new improvement advisers, and how will they operate?

Jack Dyson
Academies

Governors told to ‘resign’ if they don’t back Catholic mega MAT plans

And another diocese tells governors they could only pass compliance checks with evidence they supported academisation

Jack Dyson
Academies

Schools have 28% of budgets shaved off by academy trust ‘GAG pooling’

Unions are now demanding greater scrutiny over how trusts pool budgets, as schools await promised guidance

Jack Dyson

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *