Superhead appointed to transform school

5:22pm Friday 23rd May 2008

A SUPERHEAD has been appointed to transform the fortunes of a failing school.

Simon Bramwell has taken up a post as head of SS Simon and Jude CE Primary.

The school, in Newport Road, Great Lever, has been placed in special measures following a recent inspection by Ofsted.

A damning report revealed that school was "failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education. SS Simon and Jude CE was given an overall grade four rating - the lowest inspectors can give.

The news comes as a double blow to the school, which was placed in the bottom 200 schools nationally in recent league tables.

Yesterday, Mr Bramwell, who applied for the post knowing the school had problems, said he was confident he could turn things around.

He said: "I have successfully taken another school out of special measures and have contributed to two others. The school will soon regain the reputation and pride it once had."

Areas singled out for criticism by Ofsted inspectors included teaching, which was found to be inadequate overall. High staff turnover, the report stated, had caused "severe disruption" to pupils' learning and led to a "steep decline in standards and to inadequate achievement".

But inspectors did concede that in reception it was good and satisfactory in years one and two.

Achievement and standards in the core subjects were described as being exceptionally low in the 2007 national SATS exams, and are still low among the current year six. Leadership and management of the school also scored a grade four.

Inspectors did, however, conclude: "The appointment of a experienced headteacher gives grounds of optimism. He has brought clarity of vision and his main priority is to make sure that the whole school focuses intensely on raising pupils' standards and achievements".

Mr Bramwell, who was responsible for leading Our Lady of Lourdes in Farnworth out of special measures, said new staff had been appointed and that the school would benefit from the Greater Manchester Challenge, which is designed to raise standards in schools.

He said: "The impact of our changes for September will be immediate and dramatic. The future for the school is very exciting. I am really looking forward to meeting with the challenge to see how they can help.

"The secret to success is that I don't do it we do it, getting the right team, agreeing the vision and direction."

Chairman of governors, Ned Solanki said: "We are completely behind Mr Bramwell and he has our full support, in his rebuilding of the school and getting our school out of special measures as soon as possible."