Newham Council is very disappointed to see the OFSTED judgement of inadequate for Eastlea Community School in Canning Town.
Today’s report follows an inspection in November, which was deemed incomplete. When inspectors returned in February, they judged the leadership and management, and therefore, the overall performance of the school as inadequate.
Newham Council has been working with governors and the leadership team to both support them and implement systems to help improve performance. More recently, the Council has proposed that governors and leadership team move Eastlea into a supportive alliance with three thriving local schools, Lister, Rokeby and Sarah Bonnell, in order to secure improvements while retaining the school’s “maintained” status.
Unfortunately, today’s OFSTED judgement means that the Regional Schools Commissioner has a statutory duty to issue an academy order for the school.
Councillor Julianne Marriott said; “We want to reassure pupils, staff and parents at Eastlea that we are taking urgent action by bringing in the support of three excellent Newham schools who are well placed to support Eastlea. I will also be contacting the Regional Schools Commissioner to reassure her that we have a plan in place and to set out Newham’s commitment to our schools remaining maintained.”
Newham Council has taken formal steps to intervene in the governance and leadership of the school and is working with the Department of Education to establish an Interim Executive Board, which should be in place within the next few weeks.
Lister, Rokeby and Sarah Bonnell, three successful local schools, have come together as the Newham Community Schools Trust (NCST). Speaking on behalf of NCST, Anthony Wilson, Chief Executive and Headteacher of Lister, said: “We have both a strong track record of achievement and the capacity to support Eastlea in addressing the issues raised by this inspection.
“As local community schools, we are ready and keen to start work as soon as possible to provide the support, guidance and expertise so that all young people at Eastlea receive the highest possible quality of education”