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The Robert Napier School in Third Avenue, Gillingham, has been slammed by Ofsted yet praised by the Department for Education

A school which requires improvement is being pulled from pillar to post with conflicting inspection reports.

An Ofsted inspection of the Robert Napier School in Third Avenue, Gillingham, this summer found that almost two years since converting to an academy progress across the school is still not good enough. But head teacher Fiona Millar said she was determined to drive up standards.

A monitoring inspection published this week and conducted by Diana Choulerton said “senior leaders and governors are not taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement”.

Robert Napier School, Third Avenue, Gillingham
Robert Napier School, Third Avenue, Gillingham

She added: “Your action plan is incoherent and not well focused on the areas for improvement.

“No targets have been set for improvements in achievement of different groups of students. The progress you expect to make is not clear.”

The week before this inspection the school, sponsored by the Fort Pitt Academy Trust, had a separate check up from the Department of Education – with opposite findings.

Robert Napier School, Third Avenue, Gillingham
Robert Napier School, Third Avenue, Gillingham

That more positive report stated: “The Trust, Academy governors and school leadership team are all aware of the differences in pupils’ achievement rates in core areas and across other subjects, and the reasons for them.

“Clear systems are in place to support improvement.”

Miss Millar added: “Overall the Trust is unhappy with the disparity between the two reports and is following this up with Ofsted.

“The Ofsted report also had typos and a grammatical error, but most importantly we were disappointed that we weren’t allowed to comment on a letter before it went out.

Robert Napier School, Third Avenue, Gillingham
Robert Napier School, Third Avenue, Gillingham

“Luckily the Ofsted inspector is coming back in the New Year and I am confident that there will be a very different, and correctly written, letter on the Ofsted website.”

For some months Miss Millar and her family have been planning a move to Northern Ireland and she will be leaving the school at Easter.

In the meantime she will also be overseeing the appointment of, and supporting, a new head teacher in their role.

The main issue highlighted by the original report was that progress in maths was not at the same level as with English and that while standards reached by Year 11s had risen, sixth formers were not making enough progress.

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