White British girls cause Ofsted concern at Haggerston

The latest Ofsted report for Haggerston School (girls) gave the school an overall grade 3 or "satisfactory" rating: here's the report

(Hackney Community College seems happy with its latest Ofsted report - at least that's the case according to this governor's blog)

For Haggerston, though, the main problem highlighted by the report was the level of exclusion and absence amongst white British girls. The problem was mentioned several times:

1. "Attendance levels have improved and the number of students who are persistently absent from school has declined significantly, although the rate of attendance of White British girls remains low and exclusion rates, particularly in Key Stage 4, are still high."

2 "Overall, students make good progress from their different starting points in Year 7, although White British and Caribbean students and students from Any Other Mixed backgrounds make less progress than other students. The school is beginning to reduce this gap through its improved mentoring provision, so that individual needs are better catered for."

3. "The school has successfully started to address the low levels of attendance and high levels of persistent absence that existed in the previous academic year. Attendance overall is now average and the number of students persistently absent from school has significantly declined. However, the level of attendance for White British girls remains too low."

4. "Though the school has improved overall levels of attendance, there remain groups of students, such as White British students, whose attendance is low. Better systems to support and improve students' behaviour are beginning to have an impact. However, although the levels of exclusion are showing a slightly declining trend, they remain too high."

Blood and Property reported that the school's head Barry Hersom will be leaving at the end of the summer term. Haggerston is where where murdered 16-year-old Agnes Sina-Inakoju was a pupil - she was shot dead in April.