Rogate school is 'back on track'

The good news follows a rough year when the school was placed in special measures after Ofsted ruled it was failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education.

The situation was exacerbated by the loss of two headteachers since last Christmas.

But now governors believe the school is back on track with Amy O’Toole becoming permanent head.

Their chairman, Verona Hall said: “Amy joined the school in February, shortly after the school was put into special measures. We all knew it was going to be hard work getting the school back to a satisfactory, let alone outstanding, status but, with the help of a dedicated and re-energised team of staff, she has already got that journey well underway.

“A recent review by the local authority education department, and last week’s inspection by the Diocese of Chichester education team have reassured us this is not just our impression, but the school is now improving on many different measures - and feedback from the community has confirmed there has been a sea change in the impression the children give outside school as well as within it.”

She said the school’s results in the latest SATS tests showed the children’s educational standards had gone from well below the national and local averages to a ‘much more impressive level – in a very short time’.

Although full national results for the latest SATS tests were not yet out, the school already knew it had gone from ‘the weaker end of our local West Sussex peer group in reading, writing and maths attainment to the strongest end.’

With the immediate crisis behind them said Mrs Hall, governors wanted to strengthen the school further by appointing a permanent head.

“After a rigorous selection process, the governors unanimously agreed to appoint Amy to that position.”

Amy said: “I look forward to working with the children, parents, governors, church foundation and local community to return this school to OFSTED’s ‘outstanding’ status.”

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