Work needed before school out of special measures - Ofsted

There was still too much low-level disruption in lessons at Idsall School, inspectors said

A secondary school will remain in special measures after inspectors kept its rating as inadequate amid ongoing concerns about pupil behaviour.

Ofsted said progress had been made to improve Idsall School, Shifnal, Shropshire, including re-educating students who displayed discriminatory behaviours but more work was necessary to move it out of special measures.

It was the third inspection since it was given the designation in 2022.

Michelle King, headteacher of Idsall School, said: "We continue to make good progress and are pleased with the latest report confirming we are making changes at the right pace and in the right order."

Ofsted inspector Alexander Laney said pupils told inspectors that incidents of discriminatory behaviour were still too frequent but many now felt comfortable raising concerns.

Mr Laney also said bespoke interventions for pupils were having a positive impact on their behaviour but low-level disruption persisted in too many lessons.

"You dig deep to understand the barriers to pupils' good behaviour," he wrote, "while most teachers now challenge poor behaviour, not all do so consistently."

It was also noted there have been changes to senior staff since the previous inspection.

They included a new assistant headteacher in charge of pupils' personal development and a deputy headteacher was designated as a safeguarding lead.

Idsall School, which joined the Marches Academy Trust in 2023, was downgraded from a rating of good to inadequate in September 2022 when Ofsted said pupils did not feel safe at the site.

At the time some said they experienced “frequent sexual harassment or discriminatory behaviour from their peers” - claims that were contested by the school.