Rothwell school making rapid improvements

Improving School: Rothwell: Montsaye Academy, head teacher Meena Gabbi with pupils.

Montsaye Academy has been in special measures since being given the worst grade possible after an inspection in November 2016.

But a report published today (Friday), based on a two-day visit to the school in Greening Road earlier this month, said the school was taking effective action to be removed from special measures.

Headteacher Meena Gabbi was delighted with the findings of the inspectors.

She said: “I’m absolutely delighted that the work everybody has put in since I started last September is paying off.

“We have got so much right and things are moving in the right direction.

“The children are responding to the improvements that we have made.”

After four monitoring inspections the school is expecting a full inspection soon with the aim of leaving special measures.

Earlier this year Mrs Gabbi said she believed the school would be graded ‘outstanding’ within four years.

Since that inspection she said the school has improved its leadership and quality of teaching and that children now wear the uniform with pride.

The monitoring inspection report, by Ofsted inspector Deborah Mosley, praised the school for its ‘clear and precise’ improvement plans.

It said: “Leaders recognise the improvements that have been made and are realistic about where further improvements are necessary.”

It added that improving the quality of teaching has rightly been prioritised and changes made by the headteacher are “beginning to bear fruit”.

The report said that a new assessment and feedback policy is providing greater clarity of expectations of staff and pupils.

It added that the Montsaye ERA (excellence, resilience, aspiration) value are now embedded and permeate through different aspects of the school.

Pupils’ conduct around the school was found to be polite and courteous.

However, inspectors said that there were instances of homophobic language but that it didn’t reflect pupils’ attitudes.

Mrs Gabbi said their ethos and values would provide education to students that this was not acceptable.

Montsaye’s GCSE results and A-Level results were praised by the headteacher in August and Mrs Gabbi said they were only going to improve.

She said: “Montsaye is a rapidly improving school.

“It is a very different place to a year ago and we are very open to having people to look around.”