Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School has hit back at “inconsistent’ findings by Ofsted inspectors that have resulted in the school being graded overall as Inadequate.
Ofsted inspected the Ramsgate grammar in March and awarded good gradings for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes and Sixth Form provision but inadequate gradings for personal development and leadership and management. This led to an overall grading of Inadequate.
The school’s previous grading from an inspection in 2014 was Good and this was retained after a short inspection in 2018.
Ofsted concerns
Ofsted’s main areas of concern were pupils being taught in single-sex classes in all subjects for key stage 3 and in single-sex classes for core subjects in key stage 4.
Inspectors said the practice amounts to “unlawful discrimination of pupils on the grounds of their sex.”
Inspectors said leaders, including trustees, have not understood their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 not to discriminate against pupils due to their sex.
Ofsted also says the school has been insufficient oversight of safeguarding around the recruitment of staff, adding: “This has created a culture that puts pupils at risk,” and that Trustees have not consulted parents about recent changes to the curriculum in RSHE.
Inspectors also noted: “Attendance is good for most pupils; however, there are groups of pupils, for example Year 10 girls, who do not attend school regularly enough. The school has not recognised that it is often the most vulnerable pupils who have poor attendance. As a result, not enough action has been taken to support these pupils to attend school more frequently. “
However, the report also outlined:
- There are high expectations for what children can achieve.
- Pupils behave very well around the school and in lessons.
- The school has created a suitably ambitious curriculum for pupils that covers a breadth of academic subjects. This leads to pupils achieving highly from their strong starting points.
- Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported in lessons and through specific interventions.
- Teachers are highly knowledgeable about the subjects that they teach, and they use this knowledge to communicate well with pupils.
- The school provides pupils with many opportunities to develop their interests further through a well-thought-through package of clubs and other extra-curricular activities
Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School has sought for the final report to be changed so it is “a fair reflection” of what the inspection team saw, but says: “After a lengthy process it is now time to solely focus on what matters most – the education and wellbeing of students.”
‘Inconsistent’ and ‘unfounded’
Headteacher Debra Liddicoat said: “There is much our school can be proud of in this report. The Inspectors initially found that we were Good in four of the five judgement areas that we were inspected against, and they praised our students and staff for our collective achievements and successes.
“(Their) comments are brought to life by our recent examination results where we saw the number of A* and As at A Level increase by nearly 50% and nearly half of all GCSEs sat secured a 7 or above – which is up by nearly a third on the previous year. Our maths results were also amongst the strongest in recent memory. At every level there is evidence that our caring culture and academic approach work.
“However, the inspection was not an easy process and we felt that some of the conclusions that Inspectors reached were inconsistent, unfounded and show a lack of understanding about the legal and operational context in which we operate.
“For example, we teach using something very similar to the diamond model. This is where girls and boys are initially taught separately, and then come together in stages until they learn together at A Level. This structure was completely misunderstood by the Inspection Team as they felt it breached the 2010 Equality Act.
“We are not alone in using this structure, and other similar schools have been inspected by Ofsted and the Independent Schools Inspectorate and it was not raised as an issue. In fact, we have also been inspected on several occasions since the Equality Act came into force – and Inspectors have previously said that our approach “promotes equality of opportunity very effectively”.
“In addition, we were criticised for not consulting on changes to our RSHE Curriculum – despite the fact we haven’t actually changed the content of what is being taught. We also feel that some of their conclusions on safeguarding and attendance overlooked the evidence that was presented to them.”
Personal Development was downgraded from Good to Inadequate during the Ofsted review process, which was the same grade the Inspection Team gave the school for Leadership and Management. As Leadership and Management is what is known as a limiting judgement, the school was graded as Inadequate overall.
‘Deeply saddened’
The school’s chair of trustees, John Waker, said: “We do not want to come across as defensive or dismissive. If there are legitimate concerns, then we accept them and we will act on them. In this case, however, we were deeply saddened by the approaches taken by the inspection team and feel that the overall judgements are not a fair reflection of our school and fundamentally at odds with the evidence they saw.
“The time since the Ofsted inspection has been one of immense frustration for us. We have continually fought for our school and our community and have followed every avenue that is available to try and ensure that a fairer report is available for parents. However, at each stage we have been met with a lack of willingness to review evidence and positively engage with us.
“We will continue to take our battle forward, but now we need to get back to what matters most – the education and wellbeing of our students.”
Ofsted has been through some significant changes since the inspection. The school’s inspectorate has now scrapped one-word judgements, changed the approach to inspections and redesigning the complaints process.
Mr Waker added: “While we very much welcome anything that helps other schools to avoid the issues we have faced, these changes are too little too late for our school.”
Next steps
In a letter to parents, the school has outlined that Inadequate judgement grading means there is a process that the Department for Education will now follow.
This will start with a Termination Warning Notice, that states that if the school doesn’t take effective action then it may be required to join a Multi-Academy Trust.
Mr Waker said: “We have already developed an Action Plan and have been working through this while the complaints process has been ongoing. Where appropriate, changes have been made and we will always look at how best we can enhance our school. Ofsted will also be returning for monitoring visits in the near future.
“Once we have fully understood what the next steps are after further discussions with Ofsted and the Department for Education, we will be communicating with our community regularly about how we are moving forward as a school.”
Ms Liddicoat added: “We are sorry to have to start the year on the news about our Ofsted report. Ofsted is, however, just one measure by which to judge a school. For us, what is truly heartening, is seeing day-in and day-out what our students achieve and watching them become the remarkable young people that they are.
“Please be assured that we will do whatever is needed to continue to be the very best school for the community that we are proud to serve.”
The report is due to be published on the Ofsted website shortly
A strange report, seems to look at the political rather than the educational?
CCGS is a really good school.
From what I know of the school, this is bang on for the most part. The only part I’d disagree with is the pupil conduct parts. Regularly see em on my shopping trips to town, presumably between lessons shouting, swearing, vaping etc as they walk between Chatham st, clarendon gardens and Cavendish st sites.
Proof, if ever proof were needed, that OFSTED haven’t got a clue what they’re talking about. I’ve had a son and a daughter go through this school and never once did I get the impression they were being treated anything other than equally. They also came out with excellent grades, which after all, is the point of education!
Agreed.
If the same subjects are taught at the same levels or curriculum and are available to both boys and girls – albeit in separate classes – how can that be discrimination ?
Wow a school that cherry picks its staff and pupils. Picks the best from the area and is than rated inadequate.
Pulls the school up on single sex classes and poor safeguarding when employing staff. That’s sounds worrying.saying ‘ this puts pupils at risk’
I do find it odd, that a school which is highly selective and therefore discriminatory in its actions is accused of being discriminatory by Ofsted.That’s it’s whole purpose, it discriminates against 85% of the entire yearly cohort in Thanet.It contains mainly middle class children,as evidenced by the low numbers claiming free school meals.
This discrimination is based on a discredited test which favours middle class applicants in its format.Even then not all who past the test get a place in one of these establishments because children from outside Kent can apply for a place.
That the school then wastes time and resources teaching boys and girls separately shows how mad the system really is.
If you want a single set school have one, but don’t have a coeducatinal entry system.
As for passing exams being the sole point of a school,shows why the UK is so unproductive.The point about education is to broaden the mind.I know that might be a new concept in this HYS.If all you want to do is turn out automatons that can be stuffed full of facts,then Gradgrindian fact-cinnation is the way to do it, then you don’t need a grammar school to do that.
The Grenfell tower report showed what happens if put data driven technocrat in charge.They have no heart or soul and believe the untermensch are not worth the bother.There are some here who think that way.
Every year we waste talent, like we waste food, and then wonder why the UK is mo longer top dog in the world.
George Nokes
Well said
I wouldn’t want my kids going to school with poor people. Yuk!
I think you need to go back to school and educate yourself on writing something legible!!
Got to the middle class part and switched off. If you’re THAT misinformed about their intake what else are you misinformed on? Thanet is a predominantly working class area across its towns. Same as every other former seaside town across the country that’s on its arse since the late 80s.
Ofstead have recently been scrapped as not fit for purpose so I’m surprised they were allowed to publish the useless report. This
No Bill, they haven’t only the single word heading on each inspection.
As for’Stasi’ Starmer he went to a grammar school I believe,like so many of you.So he won’t touch them, never fear. You Reform voters certainly get get up on name calling, does that replace evidence and sound arguments.I suppose all that Trumpery must have rubbed off on you all.
Ofsted have in no way been scrapped.
How long will it be,before Starsi,Stalin Starmer pulls the plug on Grammar schools?Now,that will concern the Liebour hypocrites who want their abolition,whilst at the same time desperate to get their children in Grammar schools,rather than dreading them going to the “Great Unwashed” high schools.
Aren’t grammar schools only used in Kent ?
No – there are many other state-funded selective schools (AKA Grammar Schools, but Kent has some of the best – and best known! Other areas where they thrive include Lincolnshire, Reading, Trafford and parts of the Wirral.
I’m a former pupil of Chatham House and a was once a parent governor, so seeing comments about single-sex classes is an anathema to me – that was the whole point.
Times and attitudes change, but results seem to be the best measure – and they seem to be pretty solid.
Ofsted should be rating their previous inspectors as “inadequate”!
They visited in 2018 and didn’t pick up on any of the illegalities with discrimination based on gender.. this is how they have been led to believe they are allowed to teach at this school. Which is why they have continued to do so.
I have a son and a daughter at the school, both have been treated equally, achieved excellent results and I could not feel happier with the pastoral care here, especially when comparing to another local Grammar my other child attends. CCGS is a great school.
Having said that, safeguarding and Recruitment policies should be one the most important things to get right for any school, so I am surprised they have allowed themselves to fail on this. Although I do wonder again if this was something they passed on in 2018 and assumed they were meeting the Ofsted standard on. Very strange
The pupils in the grammar school I attended were mostly working-class because they came from a large industrial town and its surrounding villages. The town also had secondary modern schools . I don’t think children should go to just one type of secondary school, i.e. a comprehensive.
Me too. I was brought up in an industrial town in the midlands.
We had single sex grammar schools – just about everyone was “working class” in those schools.
Ofsted has no credibility. No one cares what they think.
Having said that, single sex schools in this day and age are weird. I could never understand why Chatham and Clarendon keep them separate in the earlier years. It makes no sense.
Girls tend to achieve better in single sex schools.
Well done to Ms Liddicoat for all the excellent grades your students are achieving.
There seems to me a lot more good than bad in this report. Unfortunately it seems woke comes first in this day and age!
Speak to the parents of this school and they will tell you that it is run with old fashioned values!
No mention of bullying and gangs like the previous article on a local school.
Interested
Old fashioned values like poor
“”insufficient oversight of safeguarding around the recruitment of staff, adding: “This has created a culture that puts pupils at risk,”” this sounds more like a report into the BBC ! Still as you like old fashioned values nothing to worry about. Same goes for single sex classes. I don’t understand why both schools are now one school but still have single sex classes. Why didn’t the schools just stay independent from each other.
And good old fashioned value is the amount of swearing the kids do. As someone who lives close by they play ground would but any building site etc to shame. The language used is disgraceful.
Good old fashion values like swamping the town centre in large groups (we weren’t allowed to leave school at dinner time) at dinner time. Off to spoons or KFC.
You have to move out of their way as the tidalwave of kids come walking down the high street.
Good old fashion values lol I can’t remember when kids (us) would move out of the way of the older generation and show respect. Not anymore these kids are better than us so we should move out of their way !
You would expect the grades to be good afterall the kids are cherry picked as the best in the area. So for people to point this out as a good thing and to how well the school is doing is ridiculous. The school has the best kids so well have the best results.
No, you don’t.
Being woke means being alert to racism and injustice. A word coined by the black civil rights movement in 1930s USA and ushered into common parlance since. To have an issue with woke shows you have an issue with the black civil rights movement. Do better.
What’s wrong with being “woke” It’s not a word I use as an adjective- I only use it as a verb- but the newer, American meaning doesn’t mean anything bad, quite the opposite.
A selective school that takes the supposedly top 20% of academic pupils at age 11, and then streams them and restricts the subjects they can take according to their grades, should not be judged on their grades as they are quite clearly grade farming.
I can understand that some people like the idea of single sex teaching, but if a school is differing the curriculum within that structure then they cannot be sure that they are not acting discriminately.
You want to make Britain great again. The best way to do that is to increase the amount education that broadens the mind, instead of slotting people into categories from which they cannot escape easily.
Kent has some really good grammar schools with high achieving kids, but so they should be, they are supposed to be the brightest of their cohort.There is nothing magical about hot housing bright kids.The problem is the remaining 85%, which the lovely Checksfield calls the unwashed.
Thanet has some of the highest numbers of NEETS, not in employment, education or training,what about them, or are you going to build yet more prisons, because at £25/35k a year it would be cheaper to send them to Eton or Harrow, where they can learn to lie, dissemble and disregard their fellow human beings properly.
Kent has some really good schools for the minority, but some dreadful ones elsewhere and it has many citizens who are functionally illiterate and with no qualifications, so ponder on that.
As for all the hokum about grammar schools being instruments of social mobility in raising up the working classes,they might have been in the 1940’s and 50’s but not now.
Do you want to know who was most in favour of Comprehensives? Yes, the middle classes, who did not want their kids going to dead end Secondary moderns.
The situation would not be so bad, if Kent has funded the three tier, Grammar Technical, Secondary modern scheme as set out under the 1944 education act but Kent being Kent, tried to do it on the cheap, and now finds the whole scheme a financial burden, because kids are having to be transported across the county. This is the price council tax payers fund to keep a precious sacred cow alive.
Thank you and goodnight!
I’ve never called them the “unwashed”. Not an expession I use.
“Loopites” is the correct term for Thanet.
George Nokes
Spot on again I doff my hat to you
George Nokes- you’re absolutely correct about the 3 tier system. Of course some children are good at academic subjects, some are good at practical subjects, some are good at both.
Not all children take the Kent Test and not all who pass it choose to go to a grammar school.
I got as far as an inteerview for a Grammar school, but I deliberately screwed up by grunting the answers and looking bored. I don’t really regret it, as things have turned out pretty good since.
I deliberately failed the 11+ plus in 1971 as Chatham house didn’t play football just rugby. Not working class rugby but rugby union yuk !
I hated school with a passion, but (when not playing outdoors and cycling) I always had non-fiction books on the go, on just about every subject – even spending lunchtimes in the school library. So I ended up leaving school with no qualifications, yet I was reasonably well-educated.
You had an interview, not an inteerview.
You’ve cleverly prooved the walue of educatshun their, Peter.
There are no interviews for grammar schools, Peter.
Are you sure this happened? Maybe it was a long time in the past? Perhaps?
OFSTED-useless and inadequate organisation
Happy to take the plaudits when it was rated as Good.
It’s about time somebody drew attention to the dysfunctional management culture and ingrained sexism at CCGS. Well done Ofsted.
Ofsted inspectors have no special background, and work for different agencies around the country who are sub-contracted to carry out school inspections on behalf of Ofsted.
There is no accountability for the conclusions reached – it is just a tick-boxing excercise which pretends to raise standards in education.
CQC operates in the same way: well-meaning when established, but simply window-dressing for government departments.
And yet the primary reason for the inadequate rating was an issue of law, not subjective opinion; and CCGS were able to appeal against it to an independent judicial body – but lost.