Damning report for BBG Academy

BBG Academy in Bradford Road was deemed “inadequate” by the report, which cited badly behaved students, a lack of effective leadership and poor standards of handwriting, spelling and punctuation as the main problems.

It said: “A small minority of students behave in an unacceptable manner outside lessons.

“They show a lack of respect for property, adults and one another.

“They fail to respond to instructions and requests from adults. Poor behaviour is not always tackled firmly enough by staff.”

The school will now have short-notice Ofsted inspections.

Hazel Danson from the National Union of Teachers said: “This is a real shock for pupils, parents and teachers, and we are shocked at what Ofsted has found. It reads as if some of the students were rampaging around the corridors.

Parents were sent a copy of the Ofsted report this week with a letter from the executive headteacher expressing the shool’s disappointment at the rating.

While the report was postitive about pupils’ reading abilities it warned work was not always suited to their abilities and said: “Those who may be at risk of falling behind are not quickly spotted and provided with support.”

The school was set up in 2012 as part of changes to a two-tier school system. It is its first Ofsted inspection.

A spokesman from the Department for Education said yesterday: “BBG Academy has been put in special measures today (Thursday) – and clearly this is not good enough for children.

“We have repeatedly demonstrated that we are tough on underperformance in all types of school, and this is no exception.

“We are working with the trust with a view to a successful regional sponsor taking over control of the school. The Regional Schools Commissioner will be making a decision in due course.”

A statement from the school, which last month entered into partnership with Rodillian Academy in Wakefield, said it was disappointed by the findings. Chairwoman of governors Sharon Light said: “Ofsted confirmed the areas of weakness that we as governors had already identified and are taking action to address.

“We have acted decisively to ensure the issues that the academy faces are resolved. With the new senior leaders from our partners Rodillian Academy and the new policies and practices that we are currently introducing to improve behaviour and leadership, we are confident that BBG Academy will improve rapidly over the next few months.”

The Guardian has been contacted by a number of concerned parents after a letter from executive headteacher Andy Goulty was sent out.

It said a new “positive discipline policy” was brought in at the start of this week, and the new leadership would be making more changes in the coming weeks.