‘Off rolling’ leads to warning to Falmouth School to end funding agreement

Janet Downs's picture
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Falmouth School, Cornwall, has been served with a ‘Termination Warning Letter’ by Dominic Herrington, the National Schools Commissioner. 

An Ofsted inspection in May judged the school to be inadequate despite quality of teaching and pupil outcomes being good.  But the school was damned because of ‘off-rolling.:

‘Leaders have not always acted in pupils’ best interests when taking them off the school roll…In some cases, the removal from the roll was against the wishes of the family, the advice of the local authority and the professional judgement of other agencies.’

Inspectors criticised the school leaders for lack of effective engagement with external agencies, failing to foster positive relationships, weak governance and failing to properly investigate why a so many pupils leave before the end of Year 11.

A ‘significant number of parents’, inspectors said, had expressed ‘considerable dissatisfaction’ with the academy.

The academy was judged good in June 2012 shortly after converting to an academy.  Oddly, the most recent Ofsted in May doesn’t acknowledge this but says the school has not previously been inspected.

The interim Chair of Governors told Cornwall Live they were 'disappointed' with the inadequate judgement.  She said Ofsted's concerns had 'principally centred on a small number of children who left the school some time ago.'  The trust was nevertheless pleased that inspectors recognised 'the excellent teaching at the school'.

Falmouth MAT, which operates Falmouth School, also has two primary schools, King Charles Primary School and St Francis C of E Primary School.

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