There are many factors that can influence which school you decide to send your child to. Whether it is for nursery, primary or secondary school education, the right school can really change a child’s life for the better.
One way to decide the best school is by looking at Ofsted reports. The regulatory body will visit a school for either a graded or an ungraded inspection, usually over two days, and one of four grades are issued; ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’, ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’.
There are currently five schools that are rated the lowest grade across the Local Authorities of Bristol and South Gloucestershire. There were no schools rated ‘Inadequate’ in North Somerset at the time of writing.
In this list we have excluded two children’s centres that were given the lowest grading as the inspection framework is different to those used by other education institutions. The centres were last graded in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
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Montpelier High School – March 23, 2022
Montpelier High School, on Cheltenham Road, is a secondary school and sixth form provider that has the unwanted record of the current-longest time spent with the ‘Inadequate’ grading. The school has had two monitoring visits since the graded inspection, in December 2022 and September 2023, but “more work is necessary for the school to be no longer judged as having serious weaknesses”.
Three of the five areas which the school was assessed on were given a ‘Requires Improvement’ grading, but the overall grading in 2022 was ‘Inadequate’ Improvements at the school were made and identified by Ofsted in 2023, including tackling bullying and building on positive relationships between staff and pupils, which makes pupils “feel supported and protected”.
However, many pupils did not feel well-prepared for when they would eventually leave the school. A lack of information and clear guidance on future careers and further education were cited as concerns.
Headteacher Vanetta Spence said in 2023: “We are pleased that Susan Aykin, who carried out our second monitoring inspection in September, recognised the improvements that the school has made, commenting on our robust safeguarding procedures, strong relationships and a clear vision for success that prioritises welfare and education.
“The finding that we have made progress to improve the school was the best outcome we could receive from a monitoring inspection. Further improvements have been made since the visit, thanks to the efforts of staff, leaders, governors, parents, students and members of the Venturers Trust team.”
Hartcliffe Nursery School and Children’s Centre – June 14, 2022
Like Montpelier High School, Hartcliffe Nursery School and Children’s Centre has also had two monitoring visits since the 2022 grading, both of which came last year. Progress was noted by Ofsted in its last visit in July 2023 but the school “remains inadequate and requires special measures”.
Despite the poor grading, Ofsted praised the progress being made at the nursery, including developing the curriculum which previously had been too complicated, with success for three and four year olds. But the curriculum required more improvement for two-year-olds as staff are “unclear on how learning builds over time”. The space for two-year-olds were cited as “not sufficiently developed”.
Improvements in children’s behaviour and improved systems in place to help those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) were credited by Ofsted, although the latter was at an early stage. Staff told Ofsted that morale had improved.
Ofsted said that it inspects ‘Inadequate’ schools within the next 30 months following the last inspection or at any time if it had concerns. The school was graded ‘Outstanding’ 10 years ago prior to the new grade in 2022.
Rangeworthy Church of England Primary School – September 19, 2023
Rangeworthy Church of England Primary School was graded ‘Outstanding’ in 2009 but has since fallen to an ‘Inadequate’ grade. The school, in South Gloucestershire, was criticised by Ofsted as the school “does not provide pupils with the education they deserve”.
School leaders were not being held accountable for the quality of pupils’ education by governors, according to the Ofsted report dated September 19 and September 20, 2023. The curriculum was described as “not ambitious” and “poorly planned” by inspectors.
Whilst changes and “significant turbulence in the school’s leadership and staffing” were noted within the report, the report also criticised the school’s approach to reading, which leaves early-year pupils left behind when compared to their peers. SEND pupils were not getting the help they needed.
Pupils’ personal development was praised for improving and the school was praised for providing opportunities to enrich the lives of its pupils. Morals within pupils were strong and also praised.
Willow Park CofE Primary School – March 5, 2024
The first of two schools which was graded ‘Inadequate’ in 2024, Willow Park Primary’s first ever inspection after opening as a result of two previous schools merging. The school, just off St Michael’s Hill, was criticised for leaving pupils with “significant gaps” in their learning from a poorly-designed curriculum.
Ofsted said: “The school has not quickly identified the areas of the curriculum that need to be developed or strengthened. It has not identified the important knowledge that pupils should learn across the curriculum.” The curriculum was also criticised for not being adapted to help disadvantaged pupils or those who speak English as an additional language (EAL).
Elsewhere, pupils’ understanding of British values is limited, meaning that they are “not well prepared for life in modern Britain”. Although SEND pupils receive timely support and pupils said that they feel safe, improvements are needed according to Ofsted.
A spokesperson for Willow Park Primary School said: “We take these findings very seriously, and we are committed to taking immediate and decisive action to address the issues raised during the inspection. We have already begun developing a comprehensive improvement plan that focuses on enhancing teaching and learning practices, strengthening leadership and governance, and improving the overall educational experience for our students. This rating is not reflective of the dedication and hard work of our pupils, teachers, and staff members.”
Willow Park was formed after St Michael’s on the Mount Church of England Primary School and St George’s Church of England Primary School merged in September 2021.
Merchants’ Academy – March 19, 2024
The most recent school to receive the worst Ofsted grade, Merchants’ Academy was rated ‘Inadequate’ across the board. The academy, which provides education from the ages of three to 18, was previously rated ‘Inadequate’ in 2017 before improving to ‘Requires Improvement’ in 2020.
Inspectors reported that pupils and staff at Merchants Academy in Withywood don’t feel safe because of all the fights and violence that routinely break out, pupils’ learning is ‘severely compromised’ by poor behaviour and expectations of younger pupils are too low. Ofsted criticised the trust running the school, saying it has failed to support the school and doesn’t have the capacity to improve things.
The curriculum at the school leaves pupils with gaps in their knowledge, expectations for SEND students are too low, and despite the nursery giving pupils a “strong start”, it is not sustained throughout the rest of the school.
Gail Bragg, the chair of the Venturers Trust, which runs the school, said: “We’re devastated that Merchants’ Academy has not been providing young people and their families with the quality of education they deserve, and as trustees we have fallen short of providing the challenge and support that the school needs. For this we are truly sorry.
“Despite the hard work and determination of so many individuals who have applied their expertise to improve the school, we have been unable to move the dial far enough or fast enough. I know that the Ofsted report will be painful for all members of the school community to read, but I am confident that they will never read a report like this again.
“Under the inspirational leadership of our new headteachers Guy Swallow and Sarah Flannigan; with the ever-growing support of parents and carers who want to help create a school that the community can feel proud of; and with the might of E-ACT to deliver rapid improvement, the future of Merchants’ Academy will look very different,” she added.
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