King Edward VII: Sheffield school in 'complete shock' at judgements by Ofsted sends letter to parents

King Edward VII School, which has sites in Broomhill and Crosspool, has sent a letter to parents and students warning them of an imminent critical Ofsted report based on a visit in September.

In the candid note, headteacher Linda Gooden says the school “does not believe or accept” a number of the judgements in the report and will be contesting them with the watchdog – but also shares concerns they feel it will lead to them being “forced” to join an academy trust.

The visit in September was reportedly sparked by a complaint over bullying. The letter home reads: “On day one of the inspection [...] the lead inspector informed me that bullying was not an issue in the school. However, the inspection team raised other ‘concerns’ and converted the ungraded inspection to a graded inspection on day two.

“The Leadership Team and the Governing Board were completely shocked by a number of the judgements that have been made about the school by the Ofsted inspection team.

“In light of the above, there is a very real risk that the Department for Education and the local authority will force King Edward VII School to become an academy as part of a larger chain of schools.

“We do not believe or accept that a number of the judgements made about our school are accurate or fair and it is important that you are aware of this.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Sheffield City Council said in response to the letter that the claim it would force King Edward to become part of an academy was “incorrect”.

In England, once a school is judged to be inadequate by Ofsted, the Secretary of State for Education issues the school with a Directive Academy Order, which means the school must convert to an academy by law. The council spokesperson said: “Councils have no powers over how this is managed, processed or agreed.”

Reportedly, the day Ofsted visit on September 27 was also the day a pupil was injured in a collision with a bus on Glossop Road.

In April 2022, King Edward VII responded to a story by The Star after five parents with Year 7 children said their children were the victims of a group of 15 – 20 ‘bullies’ who were reportedly meting out daily attacks, threats and chases. At the time, Ms Gooden said they were aware of “a series of complex incidents”, and that the school “does not tolerate bullying in any form”.

The latest Ofsted report on King Edward VII, which was rated ‘Good’ in its last visit in 2018, has not yet been published.