Saturday 11 June 2022 01:19 AM Elite state school nicknamed the 'socialist Eton' is rated inadequate by Ofsted ... trends now
An elite state school nicknamed the ‘socialist Eton’ has had its Ofsted rating cut from ‘outstanding’ to ‘inadequate’.
Inspectors said ‘serious incidents of poor behaviour’ at Holland Park School, in west London, had increased, and some ‘spilled out into the local area’.
They also said that leadership was ‘poor and unfit for purpose’.
Last month, the school closed its doors to all pupils except those taking A-levels and GCSEs because teachers walked out in protest against plans for it to join an academy chain.
Students had previously held a ‘riot’ against the proposals, leaving one teacher in tears.
Last year teachers reported Colin Hall, a disciplinarian who retired as head teacher in February, to the authorities, accusing him of abusive management.
The school got its nickname because it was popular with rich Left-wingers, and former pupils include The Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee and the actress Anjelica Huston.
Elite state school Holland Park School, nicknamed the ‘socialist Eton’, has had its Ofsted rating cut from ‘outstanding’ to ‘inadequate’ after teachers walked out in protest against plans for it to join an academy chain
In May, inspectors found the school to have a 'culture of fear and favouritism' in an investigation by its governors.
The investigation found there was discrimination in the school against protected characteristics, including overt sexism, Islamophobia, and racism.
It said that 'very little support' was provided to students following traumatic events such as the Grenfell tragedy, and that 'public humiliation' or shouting was used as a behaviour policy.
The school announced last year that former headteacher Colin Hall would retire early, while a new chair of governors was appointed.
On Friday, Ofsted found that 'turbulence' in the school's leadership had 'destabilised' the school community, with many aspects of school life, including pupils' behaviour, having 'declined substantially' since its
