Outstanding result for Hurlingham and Chelsea
Thursday October 6, 2011
Hurlingham & Chelsea School head teacher Phil Cross with student Rita Osakwe
A Fulham secondary school has been transformed from 'failing' to 'outstanding' in one of the most impressive turnarounds documented by Ofsted.
The tremendous result for Hurlingham & Chelsea School means that six of the borough's nine secondary schools are now officially in the top category possible.
Seven years ago it was a very different picture at Hurlingham & Chelsea as the school had just been placed in special measures after a damning inspection found unacceptably low standards including sub-standard teaching, poor attendance, negative attitudes and bad pupil behaviour.
These factors, combined with council scepticism about how long it would take to turn the school around, saw the local authority embark on a public consultation that could have resulted in the school closing.
However, the support the school received convinced the council to withdraw this proposal and today the 600-place school in Peterborough Road has been given a glowing report, with students gaining "an outstanding quality of education" and making "remarkable progress".
As a result of the transformation, the school is now "held in very high regard by students, parents and carers, staff and members of the local community".
The area's vote of confidence in Hurlingham & Chelsea will be further celebrated, in early 2012, by the opening of a new Sands End community library based within the school, to complement the school’s existing excellent services.
The latest Ofsted report praises head teacher Phil Cross's leadership as "outstanding" - a feat made all the more impressive by the diversity celebrated by the school where, 50 per cent of students speak English as an additional language, and there are an above-average number qualify for free school meals.
Cllr Helen Binmore, H&F Council cabinet member for children's services, said: "I am really pleased with this outstanding result for Hurlingham & Chelsea School and it is a tribute to the hard work of the teaching staff, parents, governors and of-course the students. It is an inspirational turnaround for a school that was in special measures seven years ago, and helps meet the council's goal of ensuring all young students in the borough have access to the highest quality secondary education.
“Phil Cross and his team have done an excellent job and I sincerely hope the school continues to go from strength to strength.”
John Daniell, the inspector for Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills) who prepared the report, said: “The school has previously gone through turbulent times but the very strong leadership demonstrated by the head teacher and his committed senior leadership team has successfully led the school through these, and the school is now held in very high regard by students, parents and carers, staff and members of the local community.”
Students enjoy coming to a school and "Care, guidance and support is exemplary". The report also praises the school's "relentless focus on getting the best educational experience for every student".
It was in early 2004 that the Fulham secondary school was put into special measures by government inspectors following a report that struggled to find anything good to say. Phil Cross arrived as head teacher in September that year, and began turning round the school's fortunes. Improvements quickly followed and the school was removed from special measures and judged to be satisfactory by OFSTED in November 2005.
By 2008 Ofsted had promoted the school's overall grade from 'satisfactory' to 'good with outstanding features'. Seven consecutive years of rapid improvement in examination results, that are now well above national averages, culminated in the “Outstanding” judgement in July 2011.
Head teacher Phil Cross said of the latest Ofsted inspection findings: “Naturally we are delighted that independent inspectors have recognised the work we have been doing at Hurlingham & Chelsea. Our success is the direct result of staff, students and parents working hard together to generate the current high standards. However, our remarkable journey is not complete. There is still much hard work to be done if we are to achieve our aim of being the best school in London.”
