Category: education

Havering’s Unaccountable Secondary Academies, 2026

Every Havering’s academy prepares students for GCSE. Because academies are unaccountable they give as much, or as little, information as they wish. They are in receipt of millions of pounds of public money but treat every stakeholder as a nuisance. This is an undemocratic outrage and Havering Council is helpless unless they use their position as influencers to change this situation.

A paradigm of how GCSE results should be presented1

Coopers Coburn Results Booklet 2026

Harris Academy Rainham Our Results – Harris Academy Rainham

Redden Court Redden Court School – Examination Information and Results

Royal Liberty The Royal Liberty School – Examination Results

Sacred Heart of Mary Binder1.pdf

GCSE results presented as an overview without detail2

Bower Park Bower Park Academy: GCSE Results, Ofsted & Reviews (2026) | LocaleIQ

Emerson Park Emerson Park Academy: GCSE Results, Ofsted & Reviews (2026) | LocaleIQ

Gaynes Gaynes School: GCSE Results, Ofsted & Reviews (2026) | LocaleIQ

Hall Mead Hall Mead School: Outstanding Ofsted, Results… (2026) | LocaleIQ

Hornchurch High Hornchurch High School: GCSE Results, Ofsted… (2026) | LocaleIQ

Marshalls Park Marshalls Park Academy: GCSE Results, Ofsted… (2026) | LocaleIQ

Swamped by virtually incomprehensible detail3

Abbs Cross Achievement And Performance – Abbs Cross Academy

GCSEs as a version of the Olympic Games4

Drapers’ GCSE Results 2026 – Latest News – Drapers’ Academy

Sanders Draper Sanders Draper – Examination results

St Edward’s GCSE students celebrate impressive results at St Edward’s Academy | St Edward’s Church of England Academy

Fluffy PR boosterism5

Frances Bardsley GCSE Results 2026 – The Frances Bardsley Academy For Girls The Frances Bardsley Academy For Girls

Ignorance is bliss: There is no data at all on these websites6

Brittons Exam Results – The Brittons Academy

Campion Our Results – The Campion School

Research Note

The research for this was done on the 29th and 30th of September 2026

Notes

1 These five schools display their results in a clear and informative way.

2 These six schools present their results in an odd way. Basically, you need prior knowledge to able to use the information.

3 This school has a page of statistical detail which only an educational professional could use.

4 These three schools focus entirely on their Super Achievers.

5 This school uses gushing prose to present their GCSE results without any detail at all.

6 These two schools are outrageous. It is as if they are covering-up a disaster, which in Campion’s case is absolutely not true.

School Ties and the Cost-of-Living Crisis

Introduction

Drapers: tie compulsory £4.50 ~ Drapers’ Academy – Smarty Pants Schoolwear

Harris Academy, Rainham: tie compulsory for boys (not girls) £7:95 ~ Harris Academy Rainham – Khalsa Schoolwear

Sacred Heart Of Mary: tie compulsory £10 ~ Sacred Heart of Mary Girls’ School – SchoolSports4U

Discussion

Making school ties compulsory emphasises their necessity. ‘Compulsory’ school ties, implies there are no circumstances when they stop being essential.

Two of Havering’s academies don’t understand this. Harris Academy Rainham has a school tie policy, which makes them compulsory for male students.1 Obviously this means female students, in the same classrooms and following the same learning activities, are treated significantly differently. The benefits bestowed by a school tie are non-essential for females because they’re females.

At Sacred Heart of Mary’s Academy, which is all female, ties are compulsory but only for six months of the year. During the hotter months ties are not worn. How the Academy discovered that weather decides when a tie is essential to education, or discipline, or the school ethos is fascinating. Just how did they do it? What scientific experiment was followed? Will they publish the data?

Does it matter? It matters a great deal because compulsory school uniform is a tax/entry fee.2 Ties must be bought yet the policies underpinning that tax/entry fee is arbitrary and inconsistent. These two schools have policies which are absurd and indefensible. Students can, and are, excluded from classrooms for ‘improper’ school uniform. The policy is ridiculous. Ridiculing it by students is a disciplinary breach and is fiercely punished. Academies are trapped in an historic time-warp.

School attendance is compulsory and wearing school uniform is a necessary part of attendance. Obeying the law obliges parents/guardians to buy the designated uniform. Many items have to be bought from a specified shop (see Introduction). The cost of school uniforms is controversial.2 As can be seen from the introduction, there are considerable differences in cost on even basic items like the school tie. The Drapers’ Academy tie is less than half that of the Sacred Heart of Mary3 with the Harris Academy Rainham at a sort-of midpoint.

Conclusion

Harris Academy Rainham relies on gender to make sense of its school tie policy. On the other hand, Sacred Heart of Mary relies on the weather. Both are indefensible. And parents/guardians have to pay. Given that Academies are places of learning you might think that policies would be intelligently reviewed. An immediate outcome would be to reduce the tax/entry fee for compulsory education.

Britain’s new Prime Minister routinely wears T-shirts in public. Andy Burnham is a vivid illustration that the world has changed and schools should ‘catch-up’. And the House of Lords have just announced that ties are no longer compulsory for male peers.5

Addendum: An overview of appropriate clothing

This is a 3-minute YouTube video I did sometime ago School ties are a tax on learning – YouTube

Notes

1 Our Uniform – Harris Academy Rainham

2 It might not be a tax as not everyone pays e.g. girls at Harris Academy Rainham

3 According to information provided by parents, the new uniform includes a £34 blazer, a £24 branded skirt, purple check shirts costing £30 for two, plain purple shirts at £28 for two and an £8.25 tie. Frances Bardsley Parents Question Rising Uniform Costs as School Defends New Uniform Under 2026 Government Rules. – The Havering Daily

4 120 students entered this school in September 2026. Parents/guardians therefore spent £1200 on ties, which are used for six months pf the years.

5 Is the tie dead? Fashion connoisseurs hope not as House of Lords relaxes rules | House of Lords | The Guardian

Havering’s Academies, OFSTED and Attainment 8 scores

Introduction

All 18 of Havering’s secondary academy schools are inspected and graded by OFSTED. The reports are an important source of information for parents.1 This is especially true for parents of Year 6 children transitioning to secondary schools.

This discussion asks whether OFSTED reports are worth the paper they are written on.

Discussion

Attainment 8 will….be based on a calculation of pupils’ performance across eight qualifications.2 Attainment 8 covers every academic experience of students in schools. It is the key performance indicator for parents and is ignored by OFSTED. Schools are monitored through OFSTED inspections and focus on four main areas, which don’t include academic achievement.3

The best and worst 2025 Attainment 8 scores in Havering were: Coopers Coborn 58.2 and, Bower Park 37.7.4 Havering as a whole slightly outperformed England. Coopers Coborn exceeds both Havering and England. It successfully prepares students for GCSE. The reverse is the case for Bower Park. They are well below the Attainment 8 scores of Coopers Coborn, Havering and England.

Coopers Coborn

The OFSTED report ignores Attainment 8 outcomes. Nothing. There are, however, 12 lines on Safeguarding.6 Safeguarding isn’t more important than academic outcomes. It isn’t controversial to think OFSTED could, and should, celebrate Coopers Coborn’s GCSE successes. The report does comment on teachers,….[who] have strong subject knowledge.

OFSTED rated Coopers Coborn as ‘Good’ in 2022.

Bower Park

OFSTED bizarrely says, The school has high aspirations for pupils’ academic achievement….7 The reality is different. OFSTED damns the quality of teaching and the classroom experience of students. Effectively they say teachers are weak and ineffective at promoting learning and discipline. The report dismisses Safeguarding in a single sentence, “The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. “

The Bower Park OFSTED report is a naked and unashamed whitewash.

OFSTED report says Bower Park is ‘Good’ in 2023

OFSTED

Ofsted exists to raise standards and improve lives for all. We put children and learners who face barriers to their learning and/or well-being at the heart of what we do. This is our mission.8 (my emphasis)

OSFTED fails its ‘mission’. Students in Coopers Coborn had an Attainment 8 score of 58.2 and Bower Park 37.7. It’s a travesty that both schools are rated ‘Good’.

There is a further deficiency. OFSTED’s ‘mission’ states, We put children and learners who face barriers to their learning and/or well-being at the heart of what we do.9 (my emphasis)

Really?

Coopers Coborn achieved a high Attainment 8 score. But this might not be case for the Disadvantaged Students who attend the school. Their achievement in the all-important Gold Standard in English and Maths was 44.4%.10 The disparity with their non-disadvantaged students is 26.4 percentage points, which is statistically significant. GCSE English and Maths grade 5-9 is an essential achievement. OFSTED don’t mention the chasm in achievement inside the same school, with the same teachers and the same resources in their report.

Nor do they comment on the additional £107,000 in Pupil Premium funding Coopers Coborn received for their Disadvantaged Students. This isn’t just a value for money issue. It’s the scandal of missed opportunity for the most vulnerable students attending the school that’s critical.11

Conclusion

OFSTED reports fail their ‘mission statement’. OFSTED protects schools from scrutiny and is in hock to the educational establishment.

OFSTED reports are worthless.

Addendum: New OFSTED policy

I couldn’t find any examples of this style of inspection so I don’t know how they assess the *achievement* element.

  • inclusion
  • curriculum and teaching
  • achievement
  • attendance and behaviour
  • personal development and wellbeing
  • leadership and governance

Source Ofsted report cards: the 8 big changes you need to know  From 2026

Notes

1 ‘Parents’ is shorthand for parents and guardians.

2 Progress 8 and Attainment 8 – an explanation of the proposed improved model Attainment 8 may be introduced in Autumn 2027 p3

3 loc.cit

4 For a statistical presentation go to  The Coopers’ Company and Coborn School – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK same site for Drapers

A Comparison of Havering and Redbridge Secondary Schools, 2025 – Politics in Havering Gold Standard here means Grade 5-9 in English and Maths. It is not the total picture of the effectiveness of a school. It is a ’snapshot’.

5 The Coopers’ Company and Coborn School – Open – Find an Inspection Report – Ofsted

6 loc.cit pp2-3

7 50230969 pp2,3

8 Education inspection framework: for use from November 2025 – GOV.UK

9 loc.cit

10 Havering’s Secondary Academies and their Disadvantaged Students, 2025 – Politics in Havering

11 Does the London Borough of Havering have a Two-Tier School System? | Odeboyz’s Blog

School ties are a tax on learning

Education is compulsory and so is school uniform. The making of school uniform compulsory is a matter for each of Havering’s 18 academies. They choose to enforce compulsory uniform; it is not an obligation imposed by the government. One element is the school tie. They can cost anything up to £10 and have no impact on learning. Demanding the students wear a school tie or be banned from school is enforcing a quasi-tax. School ties reflect a by-gone era when they were routinely worn by adults. That era has long gone. Schools should catch up on social reality.

School ties are a tax on learning – YouTube This podcast is 3 minutes long

A Comparison of Havering and Redbridge Secondary Schools, 2025

It is reasonable to compare Havering and Redbridge as they are outer-London boroughs with the same number of secondary schools. They are politically linked being a single GLA constituency. 

The government highlights the achievement of GCSE Grades 5-9 in English and Mathematics. These subjects are the gateway to post-16 opportunities and are the Gold Standard. It is imperative students achieve these grades.

The majority of Redbridge and Havering’s schools exceed the national average (see Appendix tables One and Two below). Redbridge has 14 schools achieving the Gold Standard whilst Havering has 11. On balance, Redbridge’s schools are qualitatively superior to Havering’s. Redbridge has two selective schools which hoover up the most talented 11+ students. Redbridge has six out of the top ten positions for achievement, whilst Havering has all five of the worst achieving schools. These positions have been stable for a number of years, which is worrying for Havering’s students.1

Note

1 Havering and Redbridge’s Secondary Schools: A Comparison, 2024 – Politics in Havering

APPENDIX: 2025 GCSE Grades 5-9 English and Mathematics

Table One: Above the National Average (Redbridge in italics)

Woodford County98.9%
Ilford County97.2%
Valentines75.3%
Coopers Coburn70.8%
Seven Kings70.5%
Sacred Heart of Mary70% 
Trinity Catholic64.7%
Ark Isaac Newton64.6%
Royal Liberty                64.6%
Campions62.3%
Ursuline Catholic61.5%
Hornchurch High61.4%
Wanstead61.1%
Loxford59.9%
Beal59.4%
Gaynes58.8%
Woodbridge58.3%
Oaks Park57.2%
Chadwell Heath53.9%
Hall Mead51%
Harris Academy Rainham50.3%
Redden Court48.6%
St Edwards48.6%
Palmers46.9%
Frances Bardsley45.7%
National Average45.2%

Table Two: Below the National Average

National Average45.2%
Abbs Cross45.1%
Emerson Park43.5%
Caterham43.3%
King Solomon41.7%
Forest37.1%
Mayfield36.6%
Drapers34.6%
Marshalls Park32.7%
Bower Park31.4%
Sanders Draper30.7%
Brittons27.1%

Havering’s Secondary Academies and their Disadvantaged Students, 2025

The government publishes an annual set of education statistics with GCSE grades 5-91 highlighted. These ‘Gold Standard’ results are the foundation for post-16 education. The Attainment Gap is the underachievement of disadvantaged students in relation to the non-disadvantaged.2 The legal definition of a ‘Disadvantaged Student’ is one who has free school meals and/or is a ‘Looked After Child’.

Is the Attainment Gap Inevitable?

Disadvantaged students, in general, do badly at GCSE. The Mossbourne Group3 have adopted severe discipline as a tactic for rectifying underachievement. This tactic is loved by some parents and hated by others. The first group are aspirational and those hating it often have SEND children who suffer in an unforgiving stmosphere.4 Mossbourne’s schools are focused on the Gold Standard. Havering’s academies mimic Mossbourne in only one respect – draconian rules on uniform.5 Havering’s academies have petty ‘zero tolerance’ policies. They don’t embrace Mossbourne’s agenda, which is gruelling for teachers.

Mossbourne’s successes are matched by Royal Liberty.6 However Mossbourne has 52% disadvantaged students as against Royal Liberty’s 19%. In Havering only Brittons has Mossbourne’s level of deprivation. Brittons has very poor GCSE results (see Appendix below). Seven of Havering’s academies have an 80%+ fail rate for Gold Standard GCSEs for disadvantaged students. Discouragingly every academy is below the Havering average for non-disadvantaged students. Havering’s academies fail disadvantaged students.

The attainment gap isn’t inevitable. Havering’s academies are unable, or unwilling, to change to meet the challenge.

The Human Cost

Using Royal Liberty as a benchmark, comparative outcomes are appalling.7 Sanders Draper had 23 disadvantaged candidates in 2025. Three achieved the Gold Standard. Another five students would have achieved the Gold Standard if they’d attended Royal Liberty.8 Five students were harmed by Sanders Draper in 2025.

Brittons had 70 disadvantaged students for GCSE in 2025. If Royal Liberty’s outcome is used, this gives Brittons 36 Gold Standard passes. They actually achieved 12. Statistically 24 more students could have achieved the Gold Standard. 24 students were harmed by attending Brittons.

The same story is repeated in 15 Havering academies to a lesser degree.

Conclusion

It’s shameful that Havering consistently fails the most vulnerable of their young people. A grim counsel of despair permeates the borough’s academies. Havering’s academies are in denial. The majority of disadvantaged students fail to achieve their potential. This is a tragedy with huge implications for their future lives.

Notes

1 Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK This is the first in the list for Havering. Drill down to get the school you want.

2 ‘Disadvantaged’ means they have free school meals or are ‘Looked After’.

3 Results by pupil characteristics – Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK This is an inner-city school

4 Mossbourne’s draconian ‘punishment no matter what’ regime linked to pupils’ self-harm and disproportionately targeted Black boys with harsh sanctions, damning report reveals – Hackney Citizen Compare this, Four Outstanding Schools and Disadvantaged Students | Odeboyz’s Blog

5 School Blazers: A Stealth Tax on Education? – Politics in Havering

6 Royal Liberty 51.9% of their disadvantaged students got the Gold Standard; Mossbourne 56.6%

7 Obviously they are even worse if Mossbourne’s statistics are used.

8 This is reductionist but gives a direction of travel.

APPENDIX: 2025 GCSE Grades 5-9 English and Mathematics: Disadvantaged students

SchoolPercentage
Havering Average – non-disadvantaged students54.2%
Royal Liberty51.9
Hornchurch High44.7
Coopers Coburn44.4
Gaynes40
Hall Mead38.2
Sacred Heart of Mary36.4
St Edwards35.3
Campions33.3
Abbs Cross31.4
Harris Academy Rainham28.3
Emerson Park25.6
Frances Bardsley19.6
Drapers19.2
Marshalls Park18.6
Redden Court18.6
Bower Park17.2
Brittons17.1
Sanders Draper13

School Blazers: A Stealth Tax on Education?

An education stealth tax goes like this:

  • Children must attend school
  • Children must wear school uniform
  • Pay up, or else!

When schools insist on clothing with logos, they increase prices. The government says this is unacceptable. (see Addendum). But they didn’t tackle the cost of school blazers. Blazers are an expensive item of compulsory school clothing. Havering’s parents pay excessive amounts for blazers, which are a relic of a by-gone era.1

To save researching all 18 of Havering’s schools I reviewed six, which is a good sample. They are in alphabetical order.

Abbs Cross blazer costs between £38:50 and £41:50; Bower Park: £37:50-£45.50; Drapers: £35:50-£43.99; Emerson Park: £32-£45; Gaynes: £38.50-£41.50; Hall Mead: £34-£40.

Havering has nearly 18,000 secondary students. Wearing blazers is compulsory. A heroic estimate, based on experience, says students need three blazers in their school years. The Havering blazer ‘bill’ is huge. There are a variety of prices but let’s assume an average price of £40.

Compulsory school blazers is a £2,160,000 ‘tax bill’

Two million pounds plus requires an explanation when it’s claimed to be as important as attendance. So, what do schools say?

Abbs Cross “…all students to be in full school uniform and be suitably dressed for P.E., Games and Swimming.4 

Bower Park “We insist on the following simple, but smart, uniform for all students at the academy.”5

Drapers “There is no compromise on the uniform. Parents are asked for their unwavering support in transforming standards at every level.”6 (my emphasis)

Emerson Park We have a smart and practical uniform which must be worn during school hours and when pupils travel to and from the Academy….whilst also presenting a good image of the Academy to the community.7 (my emphasis)

Gaynes They list ten items of clothing, which are compulsory. Additionally, there are 49 words of *guidance* on hairstyles. The *guidance* can be summarised as, “If we don’t like it, you can’t do it”. There is no explanation for any of this.8

Hall Mead The Academy has a strict policy on school uniform. This policy should be read in conjunction with the Academy’s Behaviour and Attendance Policy, as disciplinary sanctions may be imposed for breach.9 (my emphasis)

It’s absurd to believe that any teacher who has stepped outside the school gates for 30 seconds can believe that blazers are anything other than an oddity. For them to also believe that blazers are critical to learning, compounds the absurdity. Yet, Havering’s schools do believe blazers are very important. They enforce their absurd beliefs with ferocious penalties. (see note 6 for the penalties Drapers school inflicts.)

Havering’s schools are locked in a performative tautology. Blazers are compulsorybecause they are. Blazers are co-equal with attendance in the eyes of senior management.

Addendum: Statutory advice on school uniforms

Single supplier contracts should be avoided unless regular tendering competitions are run where more than one supplier can compete for the contract and where the best value for money is secured. This contract should be retendered at least every 5 years….Schools should keep the use of branded items to a minimum. (my emphasis)

Source Cost of school uniforms – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Notes

1 Schools often provide access to second hand uniforms.

2 Abbs Cross Academy – SCHOOL UNIFORM DIRECT For the other five schools just follow the links on their websites

3 Havering has 17,951 secondary school students

4 Uniform – Abbs Cross Academy

5 Uniform-Expectations.pdf

6 Uniform – Drapers’ Academy see also Policy Title: p7  Internal Exclusion Room The Internal Exclusion Room (IER) is used as an alternative to external suspension. Pupils work for one day or more, determined by SLT, and complete their classwork in a separate supervised environment. They have a shortened supervised break and lunch at a different time to other pupils. (my emphasis)

Drapers use the Internal Exclusion Room to enforce discipline. Students are punished by having their educational opportunities reduced. Uniform is seen as co-equal with nine other infractions: Point 3: Arriving to school in incorrect uniform and refusing to address this.

7 Emerson Park Academy – Uniform

8 Uniform – Gaynes School

9 Uniform – Hall Mead School

Havering’s Academies Believe in Magic

“[Magic is]…the use of special powers to make things happen that would usually be impossible…”1

Academies have a magical belief in the importance of uniforms to learning. Unfortunately, school uniforms are part of a ‘Belief system’, not an educational strategy.

Magic explains why every academy believes uniforms are important and an eligibility criterion for entry to their schools. Academies demand school uniform despite knowing they don’t improve learning outcomes.

Case Studies

Abbs Cross Academy “Blazer:Black with green piping and  embroidered school motif. School tie:black and green stripe with logo.” These cost about £47 and are compulsory. They need to be replaced about every two years.2

Abbs Cross is a Loxford Trust school who, “…thrives on its exacting and uncompromising nature and its quest for success for all students”. They don’t mention school uniform.3 The alleged importance of school uniform goes beyond school, “Trust Schools have the power to sanction pupils for misbehaviour outside of the school premises to such an extent as is reasonable….when wearing school uniform…”4 They worry about reputational damage if students misbehave in uniform.

Harris Academy Rainham The compulsory blazer and tie combo cost £46 every two years. (Boys must wear a tie but girls, surprisingly, don’t.)5 “Our uniform is an important part of encouraging and maintaining our school ethos of Belong, Believe, Become.

“Belong, Believe, Become,” is cute alliteration and meaningless. It’s feel-good PR drivel.

Royal Liberty The compulsory blazer and tie combo is about £36 plus seven other items. This is pricy. They don’t justify uniforms as a route to achievement, “At Royal Liberty we want our students to look smart in their school uniform at all times; not only in school but also travelling to and from school. We feel it is important that students have pride in their school and respect its uniform by wearing it neatly.”6 (see research note)

Discussion

The schools don’t justify their tax on learning. They are a herd, who have uniforms because everyone else does. They don’t critique school uniform or substantive educational issues.7 Havering isn’t an educational island8 and the cost of school uniforms could be better spent on significant educational opportunities.

School uniforms are a tax on learning.

Research note These schools were selected randomly but tell the same story. A survey of the other 15 schools offered no alternative narratives.

Notes

1 MAGIC | English meaning – Cambridge Dictionary

2 Abbs Cross Academy – SCHOOL UNIFORM DIRECT

3 School Priorities – Abbs Cross Academy

4 DUE-SUMMER-2026-POLICY-BEHAVIOUR-POLICY.pdf

5 School Uniform – Harris Academy Rainham

6 School Uniform Code – Next Review_ Sept 2025 (DHI).pdf – Google Drive

7 Havering and Redbridge’s Secondary Schools: A Comparison, 2024 – Politics in Havering see also Havering and Redbridge: A Tale of Two Boroughs – Politics in Havering This is dated 2019, which is pre-Covid

8 Havering and Redbridge’s Disadvantaged Secondary Students – Politics in Havering This refers to 2022

Drapers’ Academy and Disadvantaged Students

[Nationally] 25.2% of disadvantaged pupils and 52.4% of all other pupils got a grade 5 or above  [in GCSE English and Maths]1

Drapers’ Academy should be experts in educating disadvantaged students. In 2024 they entered 89 disadvantaged students for GCSE. They have a critical mass enabling the school to pivot teaching to their needs. Achieving Gold Standard GCSEs, which are Grade 5+ for English and Maths, for the disadvantaged demands robust strategies. Poverty doesn’t cause the under-achievement of disadvantaged children but there’s a correlation.2

Drapers’, in 2024, beat the national average. Their disadvantaged students achieved 28.1% Gold Standard.

Drapers’ Academy is managed by Queen Mary University, London. A university management trust should utilise their research expertise with GCSE results. They’re a diagnostic tool for research. Once data is analysed they can recommend the best strategies for improving outcomes.

St Edward’s Academy, Romford3 actively research the achievement of the disadvantaged. (see Addendum two) In 2024 they achieved significantly superior4 results to Drapers’. If replicated at Drapers’, seven extra Gold Standard successes would have occurred.

The government’s 2024 Pupil Premium payment for Year 11 at Drapers’ was a minimum of £93,450.5 Did that £93K raise standards? Drapers’ are committed to Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model of Child Development.6 GCSE results in 2024 didn’t endorse its insights.

Drapers’ had 89 students facing significant challenges in 2024. They have huge amounts of Pupil Premium funding, an academic management team and a desire to succeed. If St Edward’s can do it why not Drapers’?

Addendum One: Drapers’ Academy, Chair of Governors

Oliver Everett is a Liveryman of the Drapers’ Company. He is a farmer and a consultant specialising in the link between the private sector and government, working extensively in Africa. Outside work, he is an Entrepreneur Mentor in Residence at London Business School.

Addendum Two: St Edward’s and their access to research

Having Unity Research School as part of Unity Schools Partnership means that Unity’s schools have instant access to evidence-based information which they can use in the classroom to improve outcomes for pupils, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In an age of over-whelming amounts of pseudo-evidence, Unity Research School provides a solid and trustworthy source of information, proven to work in school settings and can help each school apply the evidence so that it is relevant to their setting and pupils’ needs.7

Notes

1 Attainment at age 16 – Social Mobility Commission State of the Nation – GOV.UK

2 https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/correlation

3 Results by pupil characteristics – St Edward’s Church of England Academy – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK They aren’t a privileged school. 36% of their students in 2024 were disadvantaged. Coopers Coburn had 5% disadvantaged students who achieved three Gold Standard passes.

4 Seven doesn’t look much but it is 28.5 percentage points greater.

5 The 89 students would have generated several hundred thousand pounds of Pupil Premium funding over their five years at the school

6 Pupil Premium – Drapers’ Academy

7 Unity Research School | Unity Schools Partnership

Havering’s Secondary Schools: Two Government Assessments

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

4 Results by pupil characteristics – Marshalls Park Academy – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK