Havering’s schools have two forms of government assessment. Firstly, Progress 8 predicts GCSE results by using a statistical analysis of KS2. Schools which add value means children will out-perform their expected grades. Secondly, OFSTED reports. They happen at multi-year intervals. Inspectors grade schools using five headings, (1) Overall effectiveness, (2) Effectiveness of leadership and management, (3) Quality of teaching, learning and assessment, (4) Personal development, behaviour and welfare and (5) Outcomes for pupils.
Progress 8
Well Above Average1
Sacred Heart of Mary, Campion and Harris Academy Rainham
Above Average
Royal Liberty, Coopers Coborn, Frances Bardsley, Hall Mead, Redden Court and Hornchurch High
Average
Gaynes, St Edward’s and Drapers’
Below Average
Abbs Cross, Emerson Park, Marshalls Park, Brittons and Sanders Draper
Well Below Average
Bower Park
OFSTED
OFSTED uses four summary categories Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate. Reports aren’t annual and not necessarily current.
Outstanding
Hall Mead, Redden Court, Sacred Heart of Mary, Francis Bardsley (3 categories out of 5), and Royal Liberty (short inspection)
Good
Every other school.
Discussion
There’s no correlation between the two government assessments.
OFSTED criteria, Quality of teaching, learning and assessment and Outcomes for pupils are critical for every stakeholder using the reports.
How can a 22% GCSE Grade 5+ English and Maths pass rate for disadvantaged children at Abbs Cross2 be rewarded by a ‘Good’ assessment. OFSTED say, Trustees, leaders and staff have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). (my emphasis). ‘High expectations’ in this context is overblown.
Likewise, Marshalls Park. 42.1% non-disadvantaged children passed Grade 5+ English and Maths and are rated ‘Good’. This result is 5% below the national average and 10% below the Havering comparator. Worse: disadvantaged children achieved a sickening 21.8%4 English and Maths Gold Standard pass rate at Marshalls Park.
OFSTED reports aren’t fit for purpose. Their reports lack rigour and ignore outcomes which are important to society. Progress 8 focuses on added value, whichschools create. OFSTED ignores these insights. This is a criminal dereliction of duty.
Notes
1 Search results for “Havering” – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK See also Havering’s Secondary Academies: Their Progress 8 Rankings, 2024 – Politics in Havering
2 Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK Grade 5+ English and Maths is a Gold Standard acting as an entry point for many post 16 opportunities
3 Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College – Open – Find an Inspection Report – Ofsted
Politics in Havering 
“Ofsted reports are not fit for purpose” Absolutely correct. Ask the parents at Benhurst Primary about why close to 100% of staff have left over the last two years and why last year’s Ofsted didn’t report on it. Staff that left includes nearly all teachers, all office staff, caretakers and midday assistants and leaders. Parents berated the Ofsted inspectors in the playground. They got a Good. It’s corrupt.
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The slavish acceptance of OFSTED reports is amazing. There are many instances where a school has gone from *Outstanding* to *Requires Improvement*. A primary school head teacher was so trautmatised by her school’s report that she committed suicide. The one’s I highlighted are shocking but there is no will to challenge them. after all: How popular will you be if you say that the school’s *Good* ranking was wrong? I don’t know what the equivalent of Progress 8 is for primary schools butif thern is one it should be more widely used.
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