Archbishop Grimshaw Catholic School loses 'failing' tag

Dec 24 2007 By Tony Collins

PUPILS, parents and staff at a Solihull secondary school have been given the ideal early Christmas present - the removal of its "failing" tag.

The Archbishop Grimshaw Catholic School, in Kew Close, Chelmsley Wood, has been in special measures since February last year when Government inspectors ruled it was failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education.

But inspectors from education watchdogs Ofsted have now returned to Archbishop Grimshaw to give the 1,125-pupil school a clean slate.

They said pupils, who come from more than 50 primary schools in Birmingham and Solihull, now make "satisfactory progress".

Ofsted added that Archbishop Grimshaw, which became a specialist arts school in September 2005, no longer requires special measures as it provides an acceptable standard of education.

The report said: "In successfully tackling the key areas for improvement from its last inspection, the school has demonstrated that it has satisfactory capacity for further improvement.

"In particular, the quality of leadership and management at all levels has improved and is now satisfactory."

Inspectors said improvements in teaching, underpinned by better curriculum planning and placing students in groups of similar ability to better meet their needs, mean that pupils now make satisfactory progress.

There were "notable increases" in test and exam results in 2007, but standards of attainment for all age groups remain well below the national average.

Ofsted said that since the last inspection, most of the inadequate teaching has been eradicated and the proportion of satisfactory and good teaching has increased significantly.

But they said a "weaker" aspect of the provision is students' lack of readiness for the next stage of their education and employment.