This in from the council, in their own words. Ed
Medina House School in Newport has been told by Ofsted that it is no longer judged as inadequate.
A series of steps, including the appointment of an new head and Interim Executive Board (IEB) were taken by the Isle of Wight Council after the school was judged by Ofsted to be inadequate following an inspection in June last year.
Still requiring improvement
Now, following a further inspection by Ofsted in September, the school has been taken out of the ‘inadequate’ category. While the overall rating is a Category 3 – requiring improvement (formerly ‘satisfactory’ under the previous Ofsted grading) – Medina House has been judged as ‘good’ in some areas including behaviour and safety of pupils and the leadership and management of the school.
Ofsted inspectors found that ‘the very strong leadership and management of the headteacher, senior management team and governors (IEB) have secured rapid improvements in teaching and achievement of pupils.’
Pupils enjoyed school
The report found the ‘care and commitment of staff’ ensured pupils enjoyed school and that there had been significant improvement in the quality of teaching.
The school was also given a number of areas on which to focus efforts to improve. These included ensuring the focus of some learning activity was improved, and making sure the quality of teaching was consistent across the school. Despite the improvements, there was still much to do to better the outcomes for students and to fully embed the changes that had been made, inspectors found.
Improvement in a relatively short time
Matt Atkins, chair of Medina House IEB said: “There is still work to be done but the school is now on sound footings from which it can continue to improve.
“I am particularly pleased that we have been able to demonstrate this improvement in a relatively short time. This is down to all those connected with the school including the head, staff and also the parents who have been extremely supportive.”
Improvement is not just a quick fix says Head
Headteacher Julie Stewart said: “This improvement is not just a quick fix. We are putting in place changes that will enable us to continue to improve in the medium and long term while also introducing measures that will allow us to monitor and demonstrate our progress.
“I am delighted at the achievement and that we are no longer in an Ofsted category. This is testament to the hard work and commitment of the IEB, staff, pupils and parents over the last year. It is pleasing this has been recognised – but rest assured we will continue to strive to be the best that we can be.’
Councillor Dawn Cousins, Isle of Wight Council cabinet member for children’s services and education, said: “This is a fair report that accurately reflects the strengths and development points of the school. I would like to thank all those who have worked so hard to turn things around so quickly. The local authority will continue to offer all the support it can to assist the school in continuing its improvement.”
