failing schools | Schools Week

Revealed: Failing schools that received emergency cash

An emergency government funding pot for schools “in danger of imminent failure” handed out £2.6 million to 29 schools in the past year, Schools Week can exclusively reveal. But it hasn’t always helped: one school is in the process of closing down despite three separate handouts worth over £400,000 in total. The emergency fund was […]

Private schools repeatedly fail school standards but stay open

Almost 200 small independent schools are still open despite repeatedly failing to reach Ofsted standards, according to new Schools Week analysis, suggesting the government needs to do more to intervene. In the past three years, 190 non-associated private schools failed the independent school standards but stayed open, and 48 per cent are still open despite […]

Superhead researchers reveal 9 indicators of a successful ‘turnaround’ headteacher

Heads with the best long-term school improvement plans are often nearly fired two years into the job simply because they don’t get “quick exam results”, according to a new study by controversial management researchers Ben Laker and Alex Hill. Boards expect to see better exam results almost immediately under the regime of a new headteacher, […]

Notices to failing private schools to be made public by government

Damning improvement notices for dozens of failing private schools will now be published online by the government, a year after Schools Week first requested and revealed the figures. The disclosure comes as new figures show the number of independent schools rapped for poor performance is increasing. The government said publishing statutory improvement notices issued to […]

How many schools should we be trying to help?

The question may not be how many coasting or failing schools need help, but how many we have the resources to help Since the Conservative return to power in May, the papers have been full of Nicky Morgan’s promise to get tough on “coasting” schools. Attracting fewer headlines, but still important, was the government’s commitment […]

Nicky Morgan: Academies are a ‘better kind’ of school than local authority ones

Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show this morning, education secretary Nicky Morgan agreed that academies are a ‘better kind’ of school than those overseen by local authorities. Ms Morgan appeared on the show to reval planned government powers for firing headteachers and forcing ‘coasting’ schools – described as those with poor levels of progress – […]

Why Morgan’s plan to fire heads of ‘coasting schools’ relies on imaginary people

So, what does the government’s new ‘coasting schools’ plan actually involve? Things we know: – As soon as a school is identified as ‘failing’ the Regional School Commissioner will intervene immediately. – If the school does not have a ‘credible plan or capacity’ for turnaround then the government will make more moves. – Headteachers, and […]

The system could be given the freedoms to be great

It looks like a busy five years for Nicky Morgan: 500 new free schools, an extra 17,500 maths and physics teachers needed, new headteachers for schools “requiring improvement”, and the academisation of failing and coasting secondary schools. The education secretary has a lot to do after wielding her “stick” during the election campaign: primary heads […]

Three ways to heal a failing school

Rapid remedial action is needed: Try a three-pronged approach of raising expectations, earning the trust of staff and prioritising student achievement Raise expectations Failing schools can be desperately sad places where weary teachers and rattled students engage in damage limitation to get through the day. A school in this state can’t be coaxed to health; […]