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Sandown Bay Academy exits Special Measures

Congratulations to all the teachers, leadership and pupils at Sandown Bay Academy after it was revealed the secondary school has worked its way out of Special Measures.

Principal of the school, Eric Jackson, revealed in his Friday blog that the school had undergone an Ofsted inspection this week.

He explained,

“The Ofsted visit was initially a Section 8 monitoring visit that then became a full inspection on the second day. As ever, I cannot give details of the full report until it is officially published but I am allowed to make public the following extract:

“In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures”.

“I hope that you will all agree that this is a great achievement by our staff and students but make no mistake, there is more to be done and the final report will be helpful in pinpointing what we need to do to move on to be judged as a good school within two years. Our drive to improve will continue again on Monday morning.”

Eric Jackson was highly praised by Ofsted inspectors back in February, when they said the school had been revitalised under his leadership.

He went on to say,

“I am also pleased for the Isle of Wight, secondary schooling has taken a bit of a battering in the last two years, I am most pleased that Sandown Bay Academy is the first school to be removed from an Ofsted category and I am sure that this is a turning point on the Island. There are many great people working in schools.”

Image: juditk under CC BY 2.0

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Island Monkey
29, January 2014 5:32 pm

Go Starkey. That’s as in, go get, not go native.

Steve Goodman
30, January 2014 8:30 am

If more assessors are needed, there are others with a keen interest & time to spare now, like Eddie Giles & his friends.

Steve Goodman
Reply to  Steve Goodman
9, February 2014 7:42 pm

(Now we know) At last: Eddie agrees with me on a PFI roads issue! How much does his role in the signing of the contact have to do with the loss of his seat resulting in him having the time to do this? As one of the most senior people responsible for forcing this controversial 25 year arrangement on us just before him & his friends were… Read more »

Peter Whiteman
30, January 2014 9:59 am

Why should the taxpayer give their time free of charge to check up on a PFI contractor that’s being paid millions of pounds to carry out a contact for the IW Council. When the contractor has very well paid engineers and inspectors to do exactly that and to check the works are carried out to the specification. You would question if the contractor is competent.

tryme
Reply to  Peter Whiteman
2, February 2014 11:32 pm

I hope Mike Starke took a lay assessor’s job with Island Roads entirely on his own initiative. Embracing and taking into the fold the sternest, best informed and most articulate of one’s critics is otherwise a classic way to undermine opposition. If anyone can withstand such blandishments I daresay it will be Mike.

Highway to Hell
30, January 2014 1:59 pm

Who provided the comprehensive training to these volunteers, so as to ensure fair play when looking at the works carried out are up to standard?

May it have been Island Roads who provided the training to these volunteers? And while we are at it, what ‘standard’ are they being told is acceptable? Would that be an Island Roads standard by any chance?

Sceptical….

ThomasC
2, February 2014 11:20 pm

Maybe a couple of the lay-assessors could make a visit to see the high quality works executed on Wellow Hill in the West Wight? The road has been re-laid at a different level, so residents all had to have their drives all re-laid and there is now standing water next to the turning for Coopers Lane, where there has never been standing water before. Maybe when they’re… Read more »

Black Dog
26, March 2014 8:47 pm

Where are these so called assessors? Why have they not flagged up new dangers on our roads? The greatest danger on our roads second to massive potholes is a newly surfaced road. Island roads appear to be skimming off the surface then laying new tarmacadam. The manhole covers are now appreciably lower than the surface of the road. This makes the unexpected depressions in a newly resurfaced… Read more »