You will find my previous Report on Kent OFSTED Inspections up to March 2016 here.
Skinners Kent Academy (SKA)
SKA, now occupying new purpose built premises, has had a glorious few years since the inspirational headteacher, Sian Carr, was appointed around the time the school became an academy in 2009. This was part of the initial academies programme which replaced failing schools ‘in deprived social areas’ with a completely new start sponsored school. I was amongst the many who questioned the politics behind giving priority to such schools in Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks and Longfield, but certainly SKA replaced a school with over 20 years of failure, being regarded as the sink school in the area, as explained in a previous article.
Non-Selective Schools
I have been challenged many times about my support for the good performance of Kent’s non-selective schools and why they buck the doom merchants who argue they are destined to failure. The fact remains that the main key to success is leadership from the top and has little if anything to do with academisation, for you can find excellent leaders in all types of Kent schools, although there is a worrying and increasing shortage of such leaders. Unfortunately, too many of the first generation of academies failed on this measure despite the hundreds of millions of pounds spent on them as shown by the high rate of attrition amongst headteachers at many of these schools.
SKA also points up a second factor key factor in success, which again has little to do with selection. It is surely no coincidence that all three non-selective schools in Tunbridge Wells, the wealthiest Borough in Kent, have been awarded Outstanding OFSTED assessments, along with two of the three grammar schools.
The Kemnal Academies Trust
Orchards Academy in Swanley, also in the original Academy programme, is another school that has struggled badly in the past to throw off its previous reputation. It has now been awarded a second consecutive ‘Good’ OFSTED Report, again with the high quality of its leadership highlighted. It is no coincidence the school is the fourth best performing non-selective school in the county, according to the recently released Provisional GCSE results.
It is sponsored by the The Kemnal Academies Trust from Bromley, one that I have strongly criticised in the past for the performance of its primary schools but both its local secondary schools to have been inspected this year have been found to be ‘Good’ by OFSTED. The second is Rainham School for Girls in Medway, again repeating its previous performance.
Special Measures
I covered the performance of Swadelands, the one secondary school in the two Authorities whose OFSTED grading has declined (by two), in my previous article. Swadelands was placed in Special Measures, so that Kent now has a second SM school making a total of 2%, well below the national average of 5% of secondary schools rated inadequate. It is being taken over by the Valley Invicta Academies Trust. Outstanding
Other Schools Inspected
The other schools with OFSTED Inspections in the past year included Dover Grammar Boys’, up to ‘Good’ from its previously disastrous (as grammar schools go) ‘Requires Improvement’ so that all Kent and Medway Grammar Schools are now rated ‘Good’ or’ Outstanding’.
Also inspected were Archbishop’s (up one) and Brockhill Park both rated ‘Good’. Assessed as ‘Requires Improvement’ were: Canterbury Academy; Knole Academy (down one); and the ridiculously named SchoolsCompany The Goodwin Academy (up one).
Special Schools
As well as Milestone School in New Ash Green, with its 'Outstanding' classification, the other two Special Schools inspected were Orchard School in Canterbury and Rowhill School in Longfield, both catering for pupils with Behavioural and Learning Difficulties. Both schools were rated as ‘Good’, both up one level, having made the required improvements.
| OFSTED for Kent and Medway Secondary Schools: Sep 15-July 16 |
| Outstanding | Good | Requires Improvement | Inadequate | Total | Up | Down |
| Kent Grammar | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Kent Non-Sel | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 2 |
| Kent % Performance | 33% | 33% | 25% | 8% | | | |
| Medway Non-Sel | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Academies | 3 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 1 |
National % Sep 15 - Mar 16 | 6% | 51% | 35% | 8% | | | |
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