'Poor behaviour' school gets lowest Ofsted ratings

Ofsted inspectors visited Westbourne Academy in Ipswich over two days in June

A school where teachers went on strike over poor pupil behaviour has been rated as inadequate in all categories by Ofsted.

In May staff at Westbourne Academy in Ipswich walked out in protest at children's behaviour after they said chairs and scissors were thrown at them.

Ofsted inspectors, who visited in June, said learning was "frequently interrupted by the poor behaviour of some pupils" and rated the school inadequate in four key areas.

Academy Transformation Trust (ATT), which manages the school, said it had already identified challenges raised by Ofsted and accepted their seriousness.

The school had previously been rated as good after an inspection last year.

In April, the government announced it was scrapping the old one- or two-word overall judgements ahead of a new rating system, to be introduced in the autumn.

After this year's inspection, the school was rated inadequate in the following areas:

• Quality of education

• Behaviour and attitudes

• Personal development

• Leadership and management

The school's safeguarding arrangements were considered "effective".

'Derogatory language'

Inspectors said the poor behaviour came from a "minority" of students, but it could be intimidating to other pupils and staff making them "nervous and unsettled".

Some pupils used "derogatory language" linked to race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.

This had become "normalised", meaning incidents were not frequently reported.

"When they are reported, staff respond appropriately," the report said.

"However, the school is not taking effective action to address this issue. As a result, some pupils are not developing the respect and tolerance needed to live and work in a diverse society."

Teachers protested outside the school in May over poor pupil behaviour

Ofsted said the school had not established a "consistent or effective approach to managing" the issue and while it was aware of its challenges and had taken some steps, they had "not had the intended impact" with staff morale low.

While not directly mentioned in Ofsted's report as having an impact, the school had hired a new vice principal for behaviour and pastoral care to address the issue.

Others issues highlighted included low pupil attendance rates, which showed "little sign of sustained improvement" and provision issues for students who struggled to read and Send (special educational needs and diability) pupils.

Inspectors highlighted most students were "polite, friendly and work hard" and where behaviour was settled, pupils benefitted from "warm and positive relationships with staff".

The report praised the "well-structured" curriculum and said many teachers were "skilled" in delivering it.

A spokesperson for ATT said the positives raised were "vital foundations" it would continue to build on.

However, it did not accept Ofsted's view that it lacked capacity to improve.

"The inspection offers a limited snapshot - two days in the life of a complex school," they said.

"Our knowledge of Westbourne is far deeper, built over more than a decade of partnership with its staff, leaders and community.

"We are confident in our understanding of the school's challenges and in our ability to deliver sustained improvement."