What happens if your school is in special measures

The whole school community dug deep, determined to show Ofsted just how exceptional our school was and how well it served its children and community. Afterwards, the school was duly removed from Special Measures and rated as Requiring Improvement.

It was now a case of proceeding onwards and upwards. This, however, presented us with yet another challenge — forced academisation. A MAT had been identified for us, and after some brief correspondence and a single meeting, a DfE official instructed our governors to agree to an academy order and accept the preferred MAT.

Our governors thus unanimously rejected the choice of preferred sponsor, and indeed the path of academisation itself. An email informing the DfE of the decision was sent, and there followed a long wait … for a reply that never came. Before long, the next and final challenge loomed before us — our RI to Good inspection.

The school was now almost unrecognisable from its incarnation. It was a vibrant, exciting, and purposeful setting, offering excellent learning opportunities for all. We waited with bated breath for the call, which finally came in September And yet, despite our KS2 data proof that Ofsted is indeed placing less focus on outcomes alone , the school was graded Good overall, Outstanding in early years and RI with respect to outcomes.

Over the past six years, the school has been subject to immense criticism. In the process, we learnt a lot about leadership — how lonely it can be, and how important it is for leaders to not stand alone.

We hope that our story can inspire other headteachers, governors and staff facing similar challenges of their own. As a first-time headteacher, I knew that leading this newly formed school would be a challenge with no quick fix solution for raising attainment. The inspection was changed from a one-day to a two-day inspection. At the end of day two, school leaders were told that the school was being downgraded from good to requires improvement. Then a phone call came from Ofsted to inform our headteacher that the judgment had been further downgraded.

We were devastated. Disbelief, anger, confusion, embarrassment and a myriad of other emotions followed. What would the parents say? How could it have gone so wrong? They all said we were good; Ofsted begged to differ, quite drastically.

In the aftermath, there was some inevitable fall out. The rest of us remained. We have rallied and supported each other. We all muck in to get things done, we try to look after each other. In fact, we gained a few.

The first step on the road to recovery was to get matched with an outstanding school, and an executive headteacher was appointed. Our support team are positive and constructive in their advice. But if not, try something new.

As Einstein apparently said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Schools have been ridiculously underfunded over the past few years, and for many teachers days off to attend courses have become a thing of the past. Most schools are happy to welcome visitors and the only cost then is your cover. Teacher mental health is reaching crisis point nationally, with excessive workload a contributing factor.

Excessive and therefore unhelpful workload has been cited by Ofsted as a reason for putting some schools into special measures, mine included. More importantly, you have a right to a life outside of work; this is imperative to reducing stress and keeping yourself healthy.

As important as teaching is, it is not more important than your health. It only takes a moment and you'll get access to more news, plus courses, jobs and teaching resources tailored to you. Already signed up? Log in.

Being put into special measures by Ofsted can be a bruising experience. But any teacher worth their chalk knows how to learn a lesson from any situation. Quick read: 5 lessons from an inspection under Ofsted's new regime Quick listen: The truth about mental health in schools Want to know more?

Ratings are not at random An Ofsted rating may be harsh but they are never entirely undeserved. Change is on the way Change can seem threatening, especially if your confidence has been knocked, but it is undeniably necessary in this situation. Training days are here again Schools have been ridiculously underfunded over the past few years, and for many teachers days off to attend courses have become a thing of the past.