Children and staff 'at risk of considerable harm' at 'Inadequate' Bulwell school

The criticism by the education watchdog, Ofsted, has forced the head teacher to send a letter to parents, reassuring them that improvements are being made.

Ofsted has branded the 463-pupil Cantrell Primary and Nursery School ‘Inadequate’, only five years after awarding a rating of ‘Good’.

The inspectors’ damning report revealed the main reason for the decline was ineffective safeguarding. It said: “There are too many weaknesses in the school’s approach to safeguarding that leave pupils and staff at risk of considerable harm.

"Some pupils to not speak out about bullying or unkind behaviour. They are not confident that staff will act to improve things.

"Many pupils enjoy coming to the school because of the strong friendships they form, and most behave well. However, a minority do not. On occasion, some pupils engage in fights and aggressive behaviour.

"The school has established routines to promote a positive learning environment. However, not all staff insist that pupils follow these routines.

"Low-level disruption is not addressed well in some lessons. A minority of pupils do not enjoy their time at school because of the poor behaviour of others.”

Ofsted found that the school does not treat welfare concerns robustly enough, meaning that children and their families “do not always get the help they need”.

This was not helped by weaknesses in the way Cantrell recruited staff, sometimes failing to undertake the necessary checks. Staff did “not feel supported in their work” and lacked “confidence in the school’s leadership”.

Cantrell was also criticised for the inconsistent quality of its teaching “across all subjects”, and for its failure to “make suitable adjustments in lessons for pupils with special needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Targets were not precise enough for SEND pupils, who “misbehave out of frustration” and “do not have a consistently positive experience at school.”

The governing body, chaired by Andrew Moore, was slammed for failing to appreciate the school’s shortcomings. The report continued: “Governors neither fully understand, nor fulfil, their safeguarding responsibilities. They have an inaccurate and over-optimistic view of the school’s effectiveness.

"They do not hold leaders properly to account, and do not sufficiently check the impact of the curriculum and behaviour on pupils’ achievement and wellbeing.”

In her letter to parents, head Deborah Weaver said: “While this is clearly a disappointing report, we reassure you that steps are being taken to address the concerns highlighted and to bring about swift and lasting improvement.

"We have formulated and implemented a rigorous and strategic action plan, which includes adding new governors with the necessary skills, knowledge and experience.

“Our staff team work tirelessly to ensure that your children receive high-quality education and develop a real love of learning. We will continue to ensure Cantrell is a good school.”

Mrs Weaver also spoke of her pride that the school’s current attendance rate is 94 per cent, and she focused on positives to be taken from the Ofsted report.

These included the early-years provision, which inspectors rated ‘Good’. The report said: “Children in the nursery get off to a flying start.

"A love of reading, books, language and rhymes threads through the curriculum, and there is a strong partnership with parents and carers.”