10th July 2023

Dunstable School Takes Ofsted to Court over 'Inadequate' Report

School attempted to prevent publication of report while it pursued legal action.

All Saints Academy in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, has been granted permission for a judicial review of its 'inadequate' Ofsted report due to concerns about some 'significant flaws' in the grading process. The school had attempted to prevent the publication of the report while pursuing legal action, but their interim injunction bid was dismissed by the same judge who granted permission for the judicial review on June 22 at the London Administrative Court.

"Inadequate" Rating

Despite their efforts, the damning report was eventually published, revealing an overall 'inadequate' rating for the school, with the lowest grades given for leadership and management, as well as behavior and attitudes. Another school, Thomas Telford School, which also applied for a judicial review against the findings of an Ofsted inspection, lost its bid to keep the report confidential, as reported earlier this week by Schools Week.

In a letter addressed to parents and carers, All Saints' executive principal, Liz Furber, stated that the school believes there were significant flaws in the inspection process conducted by Ofsted. The report indicates that an initial inspection took place over two days in November of the previous year, followed by an additional visit in January to gather further evidence. It is worth noting that the school did not raise any complaints with Ofsted before the additional visit occurred. According to a letter sent to parents, the school was informed in November that it would be assessed as 'requires improvement,' but the school claims that the original judgment communicated to the leaders by inspectors deemed all aspects as 'good' except for behavior and attitudes.

Evidence

Furber expressed the school's concern that Ofsted inspectors did not obtain the necessary additional evidence to complete the inspection, leading to an unjust final inspection report. A formal complaint regarding the additional inspection has been lodged with the watchdog and is currently under internal review.

In the report, inspectors said “too many pupils” felt unsafe at the school, while a “significant” number were unhappy. There were concerns from parents and staff members about the school's provision, low attendance among vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils, variable behavior with frequent disruptions to learning, common use of aggressive and abusive language towards peers and staff, and the presence of bullying in the school. Inspectors also noted that pupils felt there was no adult in school they could approach with their concerns, partly due to the frequent staff changes.

Judicial Reports