Cotham Gardens Primary School is now in special measures due to Ofsted’s findings on education quality and leadership issues.
The inspection team, led by Chief Inspector Liz Geller, visited the school in December. They noted issues with education quality and leadership. This led to the special measures decision.
Cotham Gardens has 482 pupils and operates as a single academy trust. CEO Chris Seaton mentioned that the education quality has been “severely compromised” over the years. He assured that “rapid change” is underway to improve the situation.
The Ofsted report criticized the school for lacking the ability to make necessary changes. It stated that pupils do not receive an acceptable standard of education. The curriculum’s impact is weak, leaving students unprepared for future learning.
While students feel safe and happy, behavior expectations are not high enough. Disruptions in learning occur, and staff inconsistently apply behavior policies. Opportunities for student leadership exist but are limited.
The leadership and management were also rated ‘Inadequate’. The curriculum is designed to guide learning from reception to year six, but checks on its delivery are lacking. The trust board is working to improve oversight.
Pupils’ learning gaps are not routinely addressed, leading to disconnected lessons. This hampers their progress through the curriculum. Students with special educational needs are not receiving adequate support.
Ofsted noted that governance at the school lacks the capacity for improvement. Recent changes in the trust board, including a new head of school, aim to bring stability. The school relies heavily on external support during this transition.
Attendance policies are in place, and staff work with families to address absences. However, inconsistent application of these policies can disrupt learning. The overall personal development provision lacks coherence.
The Chief Inspector strongly recommends that the school avoid hiring early career teachers for now. In response, CEO Chris Seaton emphasized that Cotham Gardens is still a safe and happy place. He acknowledged the hard work being done to improve education quality since the new head of school was appointed.