SPOTLIGHT

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Parents raise funds for legal challenge over academisation and Ofsted report

A group of parents are aiming to crowd fund a legal challenge to the proposed academisation of a secondary school in Greenwich, after it was judged by Ofsted to be “inadequate with serious weaknesses”.

The inspection of the John Roan secondary school took place in March this year.

The parents, who are being advised by law firm Leigh Day, said on their funding page on Crowd Justice: “We know that staff have complained about the conduct of the Lead Inspector and that the inspection was conducted with little regard for the rapid succession of headteachers with three headteachers in 18 months and the instability this caused.  

“The Ofsted report doesn't describe a school that we recognise. The report has ignored all the positive aspects of the school.”

They added: “We strongly disagree with the overall judgement and want the report withdrawn. We are demanding a re-inspection of our school within a time frame that allows our local authority and head teacher, to make the rapid improvement our school needs. We know that Ofsted has no appeals process and we wish to challenge the right of Ofsted to make a judgement that cannot be overturned or open to any external verification process.”

So far the group have raised more than £1,500 toward an initial target of £5,000.