dkh school ofsted

[Zaardvark]

Hi,

As many of you will know, DKH got quite a bad ofsted report (went from grade 1 to 3). What are other parents thinking? Why the sudden drop? Should we be very worried? Our daughter is in nursery there - due to start reception in Jan.

Best

Z

[plimsoul]

hi

i read it with great interest. i too was rather surprised but then i read it again and ...

i am not that concerned now as the inclusive and positive aspects of the school were as usual celebrated but they are insisting that the school take the able children and push them harder. it sounds like mrs ewers has already got a system in place to tackle this and i think that it is probably a good thing to highlight now.

they commented that the children still feel safe, very happy and proud of their school, if the staff now follow up the criticisms then it should return to form soon.

[FatherJack]

Aaaaaahhhh OFSTED inspections and their inspectors, they visit a school in teams(usually three) spending up to fifteen whole minutes in each class observing the teaching. I would describe this as a snapshot not an inspection, could it happen in any other industry.....bet there was a BIG emphasis on SATS......

[intexasatthe moment]

Didn't the PTA resign en masse earlier this year ?

[Zaardvark]

Hi

I think the PTA thing was due to an internal dispute within the organisation rather than a school thing. Still, it can't have helped. My worry about the SATS results and their 'not teaching to the test' attitude is that then we are left with bland assurances that things are okay. I should have hoped that 250 or 260 would be the minimum achievable for a good school not teaching to the test.

Best

Z

edited for speellinggn

[tiddles]

you must read between the lines with these ofsted reports - talk to parents at the school

[Zaardvark]

Hi,

I am trying to talk to other parents via this thread. Where did the message clarifying the PTA thing go? I might be going mad but could swear there was quite a long post after my previous message?

Was it too revealing?

Best

Z

[cloudnine]

Hi Zaardvark

We're in the same position as you - and we're feeling a mixture of disappointment and concern right now.

Is it really enough to talk to parents at the school? Without being in the classroom themselves how can parents know exactly what's going on? Surely that's the whole point of OFSTED. We want our daughter to enjoy school (of course) but there's more to school than just picking up a happy child at 3.30pm. We want her to get a decent (hopefully better than 'satisfactory') education.

As for reading between the lines of the report, that's pretty tricky when you read "not enough teaching is of a good enough quality to allow pupils to make any more than satisfactory progress in their learning".

Our concern is how long it will take for the school to dig itself out of these problems. Come on DKH - you were once 'Outstanding', what's happened?

[taper]

The old head left didn't she? It's a high risk time for primary schools. And the report is a very average "satisfactory" (only one "good" - personal development). DKH was a few years back the most desired state primary around that part of Southwark

Goose Green has its monitoring report just out (it's in special measures). Not very good.

St John's got a "satisfactory" too, but a better one than DKH.

[reenie40]

I have two children at DKH, and while I was initially a bit disappointed with the OFSTED report, I agree with plimsoul that the reasons I like the school so much, and the reasons my children are both very happy there, haven't changed. It's a safe happy school with a really varied intake which is a positive thing for the children. My children are able academically and although some years they have been challenged more that others, I think with some parental input it all evens out.

The advantage of a 'less positive' report is that they have points to work towards and things that need to change should now be addressed. I would still recommend the school to anyone who was concerned.

[huncamunca]

I cannot speak for DKH but according to the head at St Johns, the Ofsted inspectors rely heavily on statistical data to write their reports. Applying this, when a school's SATS from the previous year were average, then the inspections are weighted totwards 'satisfactory'. The head's view was that had they come a couple of weeks later when the school knew its current yr 6 sats, which are excellent, then the whole report would have been different.

The whole Ofsted thing seems a little daft to me because teaching to the test is criticised for narrowing the curriculum, so St Johns gets a Good for its broad curriculum and is penalised for not teaching to the test!!

The upside of the current round of inspections is that it will stop schools resting on the laurels of long-standing good reputations and instead keep rising to new challenges.. Sadly it comes with big downsides of the negative impact on staff morale - and waining of parents' confidence in the school...

Ultimately, bright well-supported children do OK at primary level whatever the school.

[plimsoul]

huncamunca thanks for the wise words at the end there. it is important to react with balance to these reports as the parents' confidence is important in maintaining a happy school. SATS are a contentious issue and ultimately so long as the school teaches in a positive environment the seeds are sewn to promote learning later in life.

[FatherJack]

How true Huncamunca.....DKH SATS results for this year would (probably) have provided a very different outcome re Ofsted. I've also used the "resting on laurels" statement myself!

I do know that some longterm DKH parents are not impressed with the Ofsted Inspector's letter to the kids at DKH and are writing to tell her so!

Zaardvark when you originally decided on DKH was it based on it's previous Ofsted report? Were you aware that it does not teach to SATS, therefore making it the school that it is. Inevitably results can vary year to year in any school. Hang on in there!

[Zaardvark]

Hi,

I did look at the ofsted grade, rather than the sats as I appreciate how the differing socio economic status parents have will influence the SATS results. We also picked it because it offers Spanish and the pupils seemed very well behaved when we toured.

The main problem I see in the school is that it's academic standards seem low, going on metrics. It is one thing not to teach to the test, it is another to be one of the lower scoring schools in the area. Shouldn't they aim for some sort of minimum level - maybe 250 or so?

The school is also not small - this stuff the school says about levels varying between intakes is reasonable only for smaller schools. The metrics and intakes should be more stable for a larger school. The value added metric also does not seem to indicate that it is doing well. I was willing to take some years of bad sats but bad ofsteds also indicate that something is going wrong.

Best

Z

edited for speellinhg

[huncamunca]

The Ofsted was not BAD, it said the school's teaching and management was satisfactory. Since when has satisfaction meant bad?? I really don't see what all the fuss is about. The school is doing Ok with its very mixed intake. If you want a selective school filled with high achievers, you need to consider going private.

[largeginandtonic]

According to the report, satisfactory means average/below average. It's surely reasonable to be concerned about a below average grade? I am in the same position as Zaardvark and no, I'm not looking for a selective school filled with high achievers. I want a good school where kids of all backgrounds mix together and come out with a good education. Surely we shouldn't shrug our shoulders and accept that 'below average' is OK just because it's a large state school with a mixed intake? I'm not so much concerned about the SATS, which I agree depends on the intake, but the quality of the teaching, ethos of the school and the way in which the school approaches kids of all academic abilities.

Zaardvark, I'm just hoping that the report will have prompted some action at the school and that things will turn themselves around.

What do other DKH parents think?

[tiddles]

I think the ofsted report was incredibly misleading and is causing unnecessary panic as is clear. Its a lovely school with a majority of great teachers - lets face it there are always one or two who could do better. The education my two have had there has been great. I think the fact that other well established schools have had a similar result speaks for itself. I am a volunteer at the school and was there when the inspection took place. A gentlemen sat in on our class for 10 minutes and then sauntered off - if any judgement was made on that basis I would be very unsure of its validity. There have been changes sure, but I still have complete confidence in DKH!

[reenie40]

The SATS results were given to the current year 6 children last week, and all of those that I have spoken to were really pleased with their performance with some doing far better that they expected. Hopefully when they are published it will do something to assure those parents considering sending their children to DKH that they will received a good academic education alongside all the other lovely social aspects of the school. There are some new teachers starting next year and they have experience which will, I'm sure, be of benefit to the school.

As many posters have said, once you are involved as a parent then your children will do well wherever they are and the fact that you have started this thread Zaardvark shows that you are that sort of parent.

[Zaardvark]

Hi,

I could not afford to go private, nor would that be my inclincation. If the new SATS are a good bunch then that is cool, and will reassure the new parents like myself.

Best

Z

[reenie40]

Not promising that all the results will be great, but think it's very positive that some kids feel that they did better than they expected!

[goosemum]

Take a look at St John's OFSTED and it's broadly similar. I think it shows that all of the Primary Schools in the area are pretty similar and the best way to judge is by experience. My experience of Goose Green continues to be really positive and I'm sure many of you have positive experiences of DKH and St John's. OFSTED reports are just one piece of the jigsaw.

[millymoll]

Dear Z,

I have worked as a Teaching Assistant at a couple of local primaries and have two children who have attended nearby primaries too. I now work at Dog Kennel Hill. Please feel reassured about your daughter. It is a lovely school with lots of exciting "extras". All the children learn Spanish and have fantastic music lessons and the excellent year 6 Sats results, just published for this year, are as follows:

English 90% achieved level 4 with 30% achieving level 5

Maths 78% achieved level 4 with 30% achieving level 5

Science 92% achieved level 4 with 34% achiecing level 5

I have found the atmosphere at the school to be a very happy one with generally excellent behaviour and caring, committed teachers. Large numbers of parents get involved with the school and you can find out more from the new website which is just about up and running.www.dkh.org.uk

My son went to Bessemer Grange Primary which doesn't look great on paper but he did well, had some fantastic teachers and met some lovely children. My daughter goes to Heber which has made dramatic improvements since I moved to the area.

All in all I think nearly all our local primaries have a lot to offer and as you clearly care a lot about your daughter's education I'm sure you'll be a very supportive parent and she'll do very well.

[dbboy]

I've read these posts with interest. I am not a Head teacher, teacher nor Ofsted Inspector.

Ofsted inspections are conducted against an inspection framework, this details what is and how it is to be inspected.

The Head and management team will no doubt have developed an action plan they are working on to address the "weaknesses" identified in the report. This is likey to be happening behind the scenes so immediate improvements may not be seen, but they will all be working very very hard to improve the provision.

If it was me I'd want to show some "quick wins " and then concentrate on the bigger harder issues that need to be resolved. It will be in their own interest, the children?s and parents that they (the management team and staff) successfully implement the plan and demonstrate continuous improvements that will allow them to progress upwards from the current bench mark of satisfactory provision when next inspected (and probably in three years time).

It's probable inspectors will return to see how the school are progressing, especially as it has moved from Outstanding to Satisfactory provision over a three year period between inspections. This is a long time and things change like staff coming and going, so standards will unfortunately fluctuate. As an example a change of leadership bringing different leadership and management styles can impact on how a school is run.

The Head will want to turn things around quickly and return to Good and then Outstanding provision. If the Head is responsible to a board of Governors/PTA they will want to see improvements, as they set strategy and measure progress towards achieving milestones, targets and standards.

Good luck to all at DKH.

[FatherJack]

Hi Zaardvark

Is your confidence in DKH now restored after reading the above and the recent letter from Ms Ewers???

FJ

[Zaardvark]

My confidence was restored by the posts here and the sats results. The letter from the school was very unreassuring in that it did seem not to take seriously the results of the inspection or set out the plan of action to improve what the inspectors criticized, but the inspection report was also written in a rather oblique fashion so the whole thing did leave me puzzled and worried.

The lack of criticism on this thread does show the school is doing a good job (or that the EDF people are overly-optimistic folk, but that might be a bit of a stretch.. ;-))

Thanks all.

Z