Great news for Goodrich

[Friends of Goodrich]

Goodrich school has just been awarded 'Good' across the board in their Ofsted inspection. See below for an extract from the Leadership and Management section of the report. I will post the link to the whole report when it is live on the Ofsted website. Well done to all!!

'The headteacher has a clear vision that is shared by other senior managers, the governing body and staff. There has been a marked improvement in the school?s provision and pupil?s progress. Standards have risen substantially at both key stages, especially in reading and writing. Other senior staff also make a very positive contribution to the leadership, especially in supporting the school through a time of instability.

The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection because of focused professional development, which has resulted in nearly all teachers raising their expectations of pupils. Leaders previously identified that standards of reading and writing needed improvement and have successfully raised standards in these subjects. The governing body has a clear view of the school?s strengths and areas for improvement because its members are actively involved and rigorously challenge the school. They have taken robust action to secure the necessary improvements in the school. The school?s self-evaluation is clearly focused on priorities identified from an effective programme of monitoring and analysis. Consequently, the school has the capacity for sustained improvement.'

(Edited for Tallulah).

[citizenED]

Yep, really encouraging news. Feeling really glad for the teachers and other staff.

[Monkey]

Great news indeed.

[Mrs TP]

It is great news and very well done.

But I just don't really get how Ofsted works - I thought the new head had only been there for a small part of the current academic year. How have Ofsted been able to measure 'standards rising substantially at both key stages' when Sats haven't even been conducted under the new leadership?

[tallulah71]

Congratulations Goodrich! I spent time there gaining invaluable experience in the Nursery - one of the prequisites for the PGCE course many, many years ago.

I have since become (no, always have been) a real stickler for grammar....

"Goodrich School has just been awarded", not

"Goodrich School have just been awarded"...BUT well done on an amazing job Goodrich!!!

I expect a load of abuse - but I do not apologise. English language is what it is. Get it right, and you're laughing. Get it wrong and, well....you're not right.

[ontheedge]

but surely Goodrich School is in the singular so just has been awarded, rather just have been awarded is correct grammatically, anyway whichever well done goodrich

[Mick Mac]

Yes - fantastic news for Goodrich and I'm sure all Goodrich parents are thankful for the efforts of the Governors and the new Head, who have all done a fantastic job in trying to improve the performance of the school. It seems this is a process that started quite some time ago and is now beginning to pay dividends. We are all grateful.

[silverfox]

So, was it substandard before?

[dulwichbloke]

.

[stacey-lyn]

"I have since become (no, always have been) a real stickler for grammar.... "

Then you'd know that an ellipsis has three dots, not four. Just saying. . . ;-)

In any event, yes, good news for Goodrich.

[citizenED]

No Silverfox, it wasn't substandard before, it was, according to Ofsted, "Satisfactory". Now it is "Good". That's one step up on a four point scale.

[BrandNewGuy]

... but in the Alice In Wonderland world of educational standards, "satisfactory" ended up meaning "unsatisfactory", so they scrapped it as one of their standards. It's all bizarre to me...

[Renata Hamvas]

Well done Goodrich!:)-D

I posted this in the family room yesterday too.

Renata

[jimbo1964]

Yes well done everyone. May Mr Voller's reign be a long one.

[byngo]

Does anyone have a link to the report?- can't find it on ofsted site. I assume Mr Voller is the new permanent head? Was he one of the 2 super-heads? All info gratefully received - my daughter just got offered a place there for next year in reception.... thanks

[jimbo1964]

Not sure where to find it. But my son is in Reception and he loves it. I think it's very well run and the children are inspired and well taught.

[Renata Hamvas]

I don't think it is up on the Ofsted Website yet,

Renata

[Goodliz]

byngo Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Does anyone have a link to the report?- can't find

> it on ofsted site. I assume Mr Voller is the new

> permanent head? Was he one of the 2 super-heads?

> All info gratefully received - my daughter just

> got offered a place there for next year in

> reception.... thanks

Byngo, I have a spare one - I presume we live very near each other so I can drop it though your door if you PM me your address. I am on Goodrich Rd.

[tallulah71]

Friends of Goodrich Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Goodrich school has just been awarded 'Good'

> across the board in their Ofsted inspection. See

> below for an extract from the Leadership and

> Management section of the report. I will post the

> link to the whole report when it is live on the

> Ofsted website. Well done to all!!

>

> 'The headteacher has a clear vision that is shared

> by other senior managers, the governing body and

> staff. There has been a marked improvement in the

> school?s provision and pupil?s progress.

> Standards have risen substantially at both key

> stages, especially in reading and writing. Other

> senior staff also make a very positive

> contribution to the leadership, especially in

> supporting the school through a time of

> instability.

>

> The quality of teaching has improved since the

> previous inspection because of focused

> professional development, which has resulted in

> nearly all teachers raising their expectations of

> pupils. Leaders previously identified that

> standards of reading and writing needed

> improvement and have successfully raised standards

> in these subjects. The governing body has a clear

> view of the school?s strengths and areas for

> improvement because its members are actively

> involved and rigorously challenge the school.

> They have taken robust action to secure the

> necessary improvements in the school. The school?s

> self-evaluation is clearly focused on priorities

> identified from an effective programme of

> monitoring and analysis. Consequently, the school

> has the capacity for sustained improvement.'

>

> (Edited for Tallulah).

Fantastic...(look, only 3 dots Stacy-Lyn...:)-D

[stacey-lyn]

>Fantastic...(look, only 3 dots Stacey-Lyn...) ;-)

Tallulah, are you flirting with me?

[James Barber]

Well done to everyone involved with Goodrich School - children, parents, governors, teaching and non teaching staff, current and previous headteachers and Southwark Council officers. Clearly going from Satisfactory to Good has taken a number of years so this recognises that extended effort.

Good result!

[traveller1]

Yes well done to all etc but really James Barber your shameless attempt to validate your earlier (and erroneous) support for the incompetent Head teacher sums up why, I feel, your are such a poor representative for the community. As all of the parents who went to the meeting with the new (and extremely competent) head teacher were told, it was his feeling that had the Ofsted inspection taken place when it should have (in the early autumn) that the school would have been put into special measures. So, in fact, the journey has not been one of progressive improvement but one of improvement, regression and now, thank goodness, improvement again.

Why does any of this matter? Because the problem of accountability has not been solved. The local authority, the governing body and clearly the management failed miserably during the tenure of the previous head and it was only the fact the she chose to move on to a new position that led to the current Head teacher coming in and making rapid improvements. It is my opinion that the currently arrangements for governance do not work and for all that we are told about the importance of parental involvement, there is very little that can be done to hold management accountable for bad practice. So yes, Goodrich has an excellent Head teacher now but what happens the next time someone is not doing his or her job effectively? Clearly the answer is Nothing. For those of us who sat in meetings with the LEA and their various consultants being told how everything, despite appearances, was fabulous, only to be told a few months later that the school was on the verge of being put into special measures and that our children were significantly under performing in certain areas, it is hard not to feel cynical.

And let us remember, it is the children who have been let down previously and I wish I felt more confident that it won't happen again but I don't.

[Mick Mac]

Agree with traveller1 -

James Barber's support for the previous head should be a source of great embarrassment to him. How could someone who seeks to represent the local community get it so wrong, at the expense of the proper education of so many children.

[James Barber]

I'm sorry my comments have caused such offence.

I'm delighted with the new Ofsted stated rating of this school and they make it very clear under the new head it should improve further. It also comes across clearly that the head, mgmt team and governors are pulling in the same direction.

The Ofsted report has some rudimentary errors which the school failed to spot when they received it in draft. It isn't a CReSTeD school which would show exemplary Dyslexia support. No such scheme as the Bristish Institute International Silver Status. Perhaps it meant the British Council?

The confucius award dates from Dec'09.

The new head started in January. I'm not sure how they, however brilliant, could comment on the state of the school quite a few months previously.

The Ofsted report makes it clear that the school had improved over a period of time and not just the 10 weeks the new head had at inspection time been in place.

The Council School Improvement Manager - a part time Ofsted inspector - at no time has suggested to me that the school had dropped from Satisfactory and that it had been on an upward trajectory.

And congratulations arein order for everyone who made this happen. Well done. And its clear it can go further.

[esme]

Good news indeed, pat on the back for the teachers, tho I too am slightly doubtful about Ofsted as my childminder got Good yet another than I went to see (who owned a pretty vicious dog, promised to have my child walking by age 1, and had a play area half the size of my son's bedroom - which isn't that large!) got Outstanding. Sometimes I wonder whether (1) it is too much personal opinion on the part of the assessor and (2) whether they class excellent paperwork and other organisational things above those that really matter... Food for thought :)