St Sampson's High School inadequate in three key areas

A Guernsey secondary school has been rated as inadequate in three out of four key areas by inspectors.

Ofsted said St Sampson's High School was inadequate in its quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management categories.

The school, with 718 pupils, was also told it had to improve in the category of personal development and welfare.

School bosses said they had "started the journey of improvement as we recognised there were issues".

The report said the quality of education was "not good enough" and "too many pupils do not gain the knowledge they need because staff do not have high enough expectations of what they can achieve".

It also said expectations of what pupils with disabilities and special educational needs (SEN) could achieve were too low.

Inspectors visited on two days in June and found that behaviour around school was "poor", and some students "ignore or directly challenge their teachers".

Inspectors found students did not trust staff to stop bullying and many pupils felt unsafe in school as a result.

Positive findings included that the school provided pupils with "rich cultural and artistic experiences" and that many took part in sporting activities and clubs.

Outdoor education was also described as a "strength of the school" and "the principal is determined to improve the quality of education provided".

Liz Coffey, executive principal of the Secondary School Partnership, which oversees St Sampson's, said the school had "started the journey of improvement as we recognised there were issues that needed to be addressed and the inspection report confirms that".

She said: "Cultural change in any environment does not happen overnight; it takes time, commitment and focus.

She added that she has "seen positive steps being taken and has confidence in the leadership team in place.

Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, President of the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture, said: "As the President of the Committee I apologise unreservedly to the students and families who have been let down as a result of a drop in standards and I commit to ensuring there is an immediate and marked improvement."

She added that the principal, Vicky Godley, who has been in post for two years, "is the right leader to deliver the improvements needed".

Ms Godley said she is "absolutely committed to doing everything necessary to address the range of concerns identified by Ofsted".

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