The vast majority of “stuck schools” targeted for improvement are already academies – and a third won’t be eligible for help because they’ve already undergone “structural change”.
Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, said stuck schools were “the new front in the fight against low expectations”, warning that “more than 600” such settings educated more than 300,000 pupils.
Stuck schools, called “coasting” by Conservative governments and, confusingly, “struggling” by Labour last year, are those graded ‘requires improvement’ at their last inspection and less than ‘good’ at the inspection before that.
These schools will receive “targeted intervention” and grants of up to £100,000 to help turn them around under a £20 million scheme.
If they aren’t up to scratch within two years, they’ll be academised or re-brokered.
But how are the stuck schools? Schools Week investigates…
1. Most are already academies
Ofsted data analysis found 626 schools that fitted the ‘stuck’ description.
Of these, 85 per cent were already academies. Half were sponsored academies – those academised because they failed, while 30 per cent opted to convert.
Sir Kevan Collins, the standards tsar, said this showed new ways had to be found to support schools already academised. “We will re-broker them, but we’ve already had a go at that one.”
2. About 200 WON’T get support
Schools won’t be eligible for support if they have already had a change of structure since their last inspection.
Analysis suggests this will be the case for 199 that joined their current sponsor after they were last inspected.
But the DfE said it still expected to support about 600 schools, because others would become ‘stuck’ in later years.
Under new Ofsted report cards, it is proposed that the definition change to those that receive “an ‘attention needed’ rating against ‘leadership and governance’, having been below ‘good’ or equivalent at their previous inspection.
3. More likely in poorer areas
Ofsted data includes where a school’s area sits on the income deprivation affecting children index, which measures the proportion of children living in income-deprived families.
Our analysis found 32.7 per cent of stuck schools are in the top fifth of areas for child poverty, compared with just 7.5 per cent in the bottom fifth.
By region, 15.7 per cent are in the north west, 14.4 per cent in the West Midlands and 12.9 per cent in the east Midlands. Just 2.9 per cent are in London.
4. Some MATs have multiple schools
Some academy trusts have multiple schools that meet the definition, although many will not get the support package because they have recently joined.
According to the data, the Co-operative Academies Trust has five ‘stuck’ schools.
But Chris Tomlinson, its chief executive, said it took on “very challenging schools – some of which have had a very long history of underachievement”.
Of 23 sponsored academies inspected since joining the trust, 22 have had their best-ever Ofsted “as a result of the educational and leadership support we have given them helping to transform communities”.
E-ACT has four schools that meet the definition.
Tom Campbell, it chief executive, said the “idea of stuck schools”highlighted the reality that some schools faced deep-rooted challenges, but the label risked oversimplifying the issue.
The funding initiative “represents an important shift towards earlier, more meaningful intervention” as “quick fixes are rarely effective”, he said.
But the “real test will be how quickly and effectively it reaches schools and whether it is coupled with strong leadership development, clear accountability, and sustained expertise.
“If these elements are in place, this initiative has all the potential to be a game-changer for schools that have previously struggled to break the cycle of underperformance.”
5. Schools ‘stuck’ for ‘far too long’
Collins warned this week that “for too long, too many schools have been sitting in category for [up to] ten years and haven’t moved. It’s completely unacceptable”.
“You’ve got to be relentless on these stuck schools.”
Eight schools in Ofsted’s data were rated ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ in 2015 and remain at ‘requires improvement’.
Nineteen received their previous negative rating in 2016. Seventy-nine did so in 2017.
