School 'stunned' as it becomes among last to receive devastating one word rating

A school has become one of the last to receive a devastating one word rating after the Government announced plans to scrap the controversial system.

The overhauling of the Ofsted system comes after a headteacher took her own life, and an inquest found the inspection process had contributed to her death. But a primary school in Lancashire is one of the last in the country to receive an inadequate rating, before the changes come into force.

Eldon Primary School in Preston was inspected earlier this year - with a delayed report by the schools watchdog Ofsted only now being published. The school had previously been rated as outstanding in 2017, but has now been downgraded, Lancs Live reports. One word inspections have been scrapped for this academic year.

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Last year Lancs Live reported on the high turnover of staff at the school - with all but one of Eldon’s permanent class teachers leaving within an 18-month period between July 2021 and January 2023. The Ofsted report said children had spoken of feeling “upset” as a result of the “many changes” to their teachers.

However, the chair of governors Abu Patel at the 250-pupil school says he and his colleagues – along with school staff – are “stunned” that Eldon Primary has been branded inadequate. The report judged that bosses had become sidetracked by complaints from parents - and even its own staff - distracting school leaders from ensuring pupils learn everything that they should.

That was just one of a series of devastating conclusions reached following the inspection earlier this year. The inspection report did highlight a raft of positives about the Eldon Street facility - including the