Failing school not doing enough

Waterhead Academy

A struggling secondary school isn’t taking effective action to emerge from special measures.

Watchdog Ofsted visited Waterhead Academy in Huddersfield Road for the third time since giving the academy an “inadequate” grade a year ago.

After its second monitor visit, the school was making reasonable progress. Since then, Ofsted says, optimism that GCSE results would improve this year has proved misplaced. Results remained “more or less” at levels of 2014, though inspectors admit their data hasn’t been “robustly checked”.

The report also says there are inconsistencies in teaching quality.

An improvement in behaviour has been sustained but attendance needs to improve quickly.

The academy is working with school improvement partner Dean Trust and executive principal James Haseldine has been appointed to oversee improvements.

A spokesman for Oldham College Community Multi Academy Trust, which runs the school, said: “The trust is pleased with the rapid progress since the inspection. We look forward to the next Ofsted visit to demonstrate the progress.”



ROYTON and Crompton School has been told it is taking “effective action” to turn things around after it was judged to require improvement.

Ofsted carried out its first monitoring visit since the verdict and said: “The governors, headteacher and senior leaders wasted no time in establishing plans to tackle the weaknesses identified.”

Inspectors said standards had risen and students had made better progress.