The headteacher of Malbank School in Nantwich said she is “disappointed” with the latest Ofsted report which says the school “requires improvement” overall.
Inspectors say the school on Welsh Row requires improvement in all categories, including leadership/management, quality of teaching, outcomes for pupils, and personal development/behaviour.
However, Ofsted did praise the school’s Sixth Form provision, which it rated as “Good”.
The outcome has seen Malbank drop from an overall “Good” rating since the last inspection back in 2015.
In its summary findings, Ofsted inspectors said: “The standard of education provided at the school declined after the last inspection.
“Despite an improving trend, pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching across a range of subjects are not good.
“Leaders have not been fully effective in secured disadvantaged pupils’ good attendance and progress.
“The quality of subject leadership is mixed. As a result, the quality of teaching varies within and across departments.
“Despite recent improvement, teaching is not effective in mathematics.
“Teachers do not routinely use assessment information to set pupils work that stretches their thinking and learning.
“Although many pupils behave sensibly around the school, pupils’ attitudes to learning require improvement, especially those of boys. In these cases, pupils lose concentration or are involved in low-level disruption.
“Teachers do not consistently support pupils to work with care or accuracy. As a result, some pupils’ work, especially that of boys, lacks
precision.
“Too many boys do not make the progress of which they are capable. Pupils’ work across a range of subjects contains too many misconceptions in spelling, punctuation and grammar.”
However, it did highlight a number of strengths at the school in the report, issued on January 14.
These include:
– Leaders’ actions to strengthen the curriculum are having a positive impact overall
– Pupils’ progress is improving, including that of boys and disadvantaged pupils. Pupils make good progress in English.
– Leaders, including governors, demonstrate the capacity to improve the quality of education provided at the school.
– Pupils’ personal development is good. They learn and care about themselves and others.
– Safeguarding is effective. Pupils, including those who have recently joined Year 7, say that they are well cared for and safe at school.
– Pupils who have an education, health and care plan (EHCP) are well supported.
– The sixth form is a strength of the school. It is well led, and teaching is typically strong. Students attain the grades of which they are
capable across the academic and vocational courses provided.
Malbank headteacher Jeanette Walker said: “Whilst we were disappointed with some of the overall judgements based on historical data, the report recognises the many existing strengths of the school and the recent improvements in our progress data last summer.
“We are delighted that it recognises the strengths of our Sixth Form College and the impact that we have on personal development and the future destinations of all our students.
“We will, of course, continue to work hard on the areas for development previously identified by us in our School Improvement Plan and confirmed by Ofsted.”
Absolutely ridiculous, this school and sixth form our outstanding in my eyes and as a parent they have helped transform my daughters life, maybe they need to speak to the parents and not just tick boxes. I’m not interested in government papers I’m interested in how well they support our children and I for one have no complaints x
The head teacher needs to visit some schools that are rated outstanding.
A common factor is the discipline is very strong at these good schools, like it or not we all need personal discipline to get on in life