A school in Reading that was judged ‘inadequate’ by education inspectors could be getting new leadership.
The John Madejski Academy in Hartland Road, Whitley has had a challenging year after education inspectors from Ofsted rated it ‘Inadequate’ in October 2023.
The inspection report stated that learning and progress is ‘hindered by poor behaviour’ and accused staff of not knowing the needs of pupils well enough.
The secondary and sixth-form school is run by The White Horse Federation, which manages 31 educational institutions in south central England.
The Foundation took over management of John Madejski Academy in 2018, but is now seeking to pass on the running of the school to another Trust.
A spokesperson for The White Horse Federation said: “Since 2018, The White Horse Federation has worked hard to overcome the considerable challenges that have held back John Madejski Academy in Reading.
“The school and the Federation have been exploring all possible strategies to further improve outcomes for students at the school.
“However, after considerable deliberation, the board of trustees has decided that John Madejski Academy would benefit from being part of a trust with links in the immediate surrounding areas to Reading.
As such, the board has proposed that the school join the Greenshaw Learning Trust, which is well-positioned to support the academy on this next phase of its school improvement journey.”
The Greenshaw Learning Trust runs 35 educational institutions, including the Crown Wood and Sandy Lane primary schools and Brakenhale secondary school in Bracknell.
The spokesperson for The White Horse Federation continued: “The proposed transfer of John Madejski Academy to the Greenshaw Learning Trust will enable the school to benefit from close collaboration with the Trust’s other schools.
“This proposal will now be considered by the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) regional director, on behalf of the secretary of state for education, with advice from the Headteacher Advisory Board.”
The White Horse Federation and the Greenshaw Learning Trust will consult with staff, parents, and the school’s wider community on the proposal. Details of this consultation will be shared with stakeholders shortly.
Confirmation of the transfer of John Madejski Academy to the Greenshaw Learning Trust is subject to approval from the DfE regional director.
The school has variously been rated ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’ in the five inspections conducted since 2015.
In the latest inspection, the Ofsted team did say pupils engaging in sporting and extra-curricular activities benefited from rich experiences.
The rating system for Ofsted inspections has been changed by the Labour government with ‘single overall grades’ being scrapped from this September onwards.
The change follows the death of Reading headteacher Ruth Perry, with a coroner concluding that the Ofsted inspection process had contributed to her death.
