The staff, Governing body and the county council's education service are already tackling the issues raised by Ofsted in its report published today. Ofsted's performance report for Newman Catholic School in Carlisle has placed the school in special measures.
Schools, after publication of the inspection, have 40 working days to produce an action plan to address the key areas for improvement. Because of the recent flooding, Ofsted has agreed to extend this period starting from 1st April.
John O'Neill, Headteacher said:
"Our own evaluation of the school's performance already identified the key areas for improvement and strengths now confirmed by this report. The Governing body, staff, and the county council's education service have already begun to address the areas for improvement to take the school forward, building on the strengths of the school. Staff, students, parents and Governors have shown their huge commitment to the school and how well they can work together in the face of the devastation caused by the recent flooding. I have every confidence that they will respond to this report in the same spirit. Together, I expect we will secure a rapid improvement in the standards achieved by our students. We are all entering into a new chapter in the school's history which will be marked by the improved facilities and better outcomes for our students. Everyone involved with the school is united in their commitment to provide the best possible education for all our students so they have an excellent opportunity to fulfill their full potential."
John Caven, Chair of Governors said:
"We are already working in a strong and effective partnership with the Diocese and the county council's education service. We know what needs to be done and the inspection team found that we are already successfully addressing some of the key areas identified and improvements are evident. Since arriving at the school in April 2003, the headteacher has a clear vision for the school's future development and has already made a number of improvements, in particular behaviour and attitudes of the students has significantly improved. Other areas of the school's work received praise from the inspectors including sixth form provision, links with parents and the local Catholic communities. We are now working to produce and action plan addressing the issues set out in the report. Although there are challenges ahead we believe that with the continued support from the council's education service, the Diocese, the Governing body, parents and the wider community, the school is certain to succeed."
Victoria Ashfield, Cumbria County Council's Corporate Director - Education said:
"The county council has been working closely with the school in recent months. The school has already started on its recovery programme with the support from the county council. We will continue to work closely with the school to support them in addressing the development areas outlined in the report, and to recover from the recent problems caused by the floods. We are confident that together the school can improve."