What inspectors said about Preston School Academy in Yeovil after it was rated 'requires improvement'

A Yeovil secondary school has been told it must improve for the second time in two years after a recent inspection.

Preston School Academy was rated "requires improvement" by Ofsted inspectors after they carried out a full inspection in June.

It was discovered that the management, quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils at the school were all below expectations.

The academy, which educates more than 950 local children, was told to improve by inspectors after a similar visit in June 2017, but last month inspectors found that the required improvement had not been made.

Somerset Live has approached the school and headteacher Gregg Morrison for comment on the inspection.

Last year, Preston School Academy only narrowly missed ending up on a government blacklist for under-performing schools.

Preston School Academy headteacher Gregg Morrison

In its latest inspection, Ofsted uncovered that "a legacy of underachievement" is holding children back at the school.

Inspectors said that disadvantaged pupils and those with special needs underachieve compared with national statistics.

They pointed the finger at leaders at the school for not ensuring standards are high enough, and governors for having an "over generous view of the school’s improvement".

Despite this, inspectors highlighted that the school had made some improvements, and added that pupil behaviour is excellent and the personal development of children is good.

What did inspectors say?

Inspectors picked out the following issues as reasons for the school's latest "requires improvement" rating:

Leaders have not yet ensured that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is consistently high enough.
Outcomes require improvement because results, although improving, are not securely good. Some groups of pupils struggle to overcome a legacy of underachievement.
Subject leadership is not consistently effective. This leads to variations in the quality of teaching and in outcomes for pupils within and across subjects.
Leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and weaknesses lacks rigour. This means that they are not always precise enough in identifying specific actions which need to be taken in order to improve outcomes.
Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) underachieve relative to others nationally and have done so over time.
Governors have an overgenerous view of the school’s improvement since the last inspection.
Recent changes, including significant changes in staffing, have generated strong capacity for improvement, but they have not had time to have a significant impact on the lack of progress made by many pupils.

However, there were positives identified by inspectors:

This is an improving school. The principal has raised the expectations of staff and pupils. He has made improvements to the quality of education in the school since he took up post.
Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site is excellent. They are proud of their school, wear their uniform with pride and respect the school environment.
The curriculum is matched well to the needs of pupils and linked effectively with good careers guidance. All pupils progress to post-16 courses, training or apprenticeships that meet their needs and aspirations.
Pupils’ personal development is good. They are tolerant and respectful of each other and they are keen to play a part in the life of the school through participation in sporting and community events.