Metallic

Just imagine if you are one of the parents hoping for a school where this inspection type has happened since you applied for your child to go there. You get the good news that you have a place and the bad news the same week that it is going in to special measures. So hopefully the inspectors will have cleared up whatever has happened, and if not, by the time your child starts there, things will have been cleaned up.

The inspection news will be out this week I guess.

I understand several Langbourne children off the Kingswood estate did not get a place at a school which is a few yards from their homes - Kingsdale. So I agree it is a great fortune to people that Kingsdale are so generous in their catchment. It does not get away from the fact that the school seems like a duck, calm above water and apparently paddling madly out of sight. We will soon see.

No need to be like that Debster99. I read the papers about things going on in the area where I live and work, about things that effect me and mine. Why would I not want to know what is going on with Kingsdale when there has been accusations of cheating, or why would I not want to know about the Charter School catchment issues, when they are going to affect me and my possible choices of where to look I want to know, like anyone would. Shame your question mark key got stuck by the way Debster99?

I was just about to say the same thing as prickle this morning when I had to go out so no time to post til now. Anyway would you teach your child to cheat? Would you like your child to think cheating is OK if a teacher says it is? If that comes out as true then surely you would not say that it was a school you would like your children to be educated in. And if it doesn't make any difference to you then I can't say that would be a great role model going in to life and work.

I am waiting to see what has happened. Never judge til the truth comes out. You can't help but be curious about something that effects so many people though can you?

I realised the schools are back so there should be news about what happened before half term and so I was looking on the Ofsted website to see if there is any news about the inspection, and this letter from Ofsted was on it: Existing academy: Kingsdale Foundation School URN: 136309 Predecessor school: Kingsdale Foundation School URN: 100844 Alleyn Park Dulwich SE21 8SQ Academy conversion and predecessor schools Under the Academies Act 2010, schools may apply to the Secretary of State to convert to academy status. Such schools are known as academy converters. Upon conversion to academy status the existing school closes and a new school opens in its place. Although little may have changed, the academy converter is a new legal entity. Most academy converters have yet to have a section 5 inspection. However, to assist parents and other interested parties, information about, and the inspection history of the school which preceded the new academy are available here. It is important to note that, as the academy converter is a new school, which may not yet have been inspected, the inspection judgements of the predecessor school are not those of the new academy. However, the most recent inspection judgements of the predecessor school are taken into account by Ofsted for the purpose of scheduling the first inspection of the new academy converter. Some academy converters have replaced schools which were judged to be outstanding at their most recent Ofsted inspection. Under the Education Act 2011, most schools previously judged to be outstanding will be exempt from routine inspection. This means they will not be subject to inspection at regular intervals. However, three years after the predecessor school was last inspected it will be subject to Ofsted?s formal risk-assessment process, which may lead to an inspection. Finally, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 the Chief Inspector may decide to inspect any school in England if requested to do so by the Secretary of State, or if, based on information received by Ofsted, he judges that a school would benefit from inspection. Frank Norris Divisional Manager, Education As everyone knows it was a Section 8 inspection, and the school was called outstanding in the last ordinary one it had, I can only think that either the minister or the head of Ofsted has received information that needed to be looked in to. I can tell you that if this comes out badly I will not be looking at that school for my kid!

At least you know how schools work! It depends on the problems though.

Fuschia do you have any links to the school? Parent or something else? I would like to hear about it because as I said the other day I have to decide where to look at for my son.

Until recently when you went past Kingsdale it had a quote from ofsted in large letters that said outstanding. These have now gone. So if it was found to be outstanding last time, this inspection must have been because the powers that be thought there was something wrong there. It must be something to do with the exam problems or something new noone knows about yet. Noone has heard anything about that so maybe ofsted is doing what the exam boards should have done and gone to have a proper look. Maybe some parents have added information or are asking for information as to what came out last year, who knows. Further up bluemusic says people were told it was a section 8 inspection in the school whatever that entails but if that is for something that has gone wrong everyone will know sooner or later. Somewhere further up there is a mention of being sent questionaires because the school has been inspected because it is one of the top schools but that definitely can't be right because the head of ofsted was on the radio and I heard him saying these inspections wont start until September. So I think something is up.

I should think the head would have a clue how it went! If it was an ofsted due to all these exam rumours maybe we can expect to hear about it before the middle of March, especially if someone gets fired! No I wouldn't send my child to a school where a friend worked as a teacher. But needs must if it is a questionable school versus one where there was someone I knew and the ofsted was higher rated.

True. I worked somewhere years ago when I was sent to Coventry by my team for standing up to my manager. But in outing him to the senior managers I may have been lonely in my team but my integrity was intact and that is what mattered to me. It took months to be investigated and that is horrible but if you know you are right it doesn't matter how long it takes. He was sacked by the way. If this is what turns out to be happening at Kingsdale people can hold their heads up for being honest and having the belief in being publicly honest too. It may have felt scary but whoever has opened up about those exams being questionable can be proud if ofsted finds it has all been true. It is about the pupils at the school isn't it?

People posting on here are happy about Kingsdale bluemusic, but maybe it is because their kids are lower down the school and not in the years affected by the stuff that came out about exam cheating because that must have been older children. If their children were in year 11 they might be more worried about this story, which if it turns out to be true is totally dreadful and especially for anyone doing exams last year. Hopefully the news of the inspection will come out soon especially if it does turn out to be about those stories.

As I said above, these no notice inspections havent started yet so whatever is going on at Kingsdale is nothing to do with the new way of inspecting.

Sorry to go on about this but I watched Channel Four news tonight and the head of Ofsted quite clearly said no notice inspections do not start until September 2012, so I guess what ever is happening at Kingsdale is to do with something we don't know about and parents haven't been told.

You are right but I meant to at least go to look at.

Westhof, when your kid comes home saying the inspectors are in, and you know there is trouble about why wouldn't you ask for some info. I really need to know what is going on in the school as I don't want to choose a school that isn't honest when it comes to it. Open days dont tell you anything because it all looks perfect.

I wonder if it is true the school didn't take anyone from Langbourne for this year's intake and that there were quite a few kids wanting to go there who have to travel to school further away. That seems odd if its true. Anyway if there is teacher cheating by helping in exams then it ought to be uncovered by the inspectors while they are there. Maybe there are other reasons for having an inspection so quickly that we dont know about, so does anyone on here know? When it comes to choosing a school for my son I want to know everything about a school which includes knowing the bad as well as the good so we need to know why they are there. I can bet that the head of the primary my son goes to won't know and she should if she is going to give good advice to us all.

OK I see.

Err teachers helping pupils in exams like ydrmdy said is hardly fiddling admission policies unless you are talking about going to college with a gcse you had help with.

I'm new on the forum, I only wanted to post about Luca's and my eye was caught by the other thing. So if you say something like ydrmdy why should it be removed .

WHAT???? Did you try to tell Ofsted?

Good. So if the rumours were true about the school they will find out what is happening won't they? Anyone heard what has been happening?

I wonder if its something to do with the trouble there about exams and there was supposed to be trouble about it but not heard anything since I saw it in some paper.