Birmingham school accused of misleading Ofsted to gain better marks

Feb 11 2010 By Edward Chadwick

A Catholic school in Birmingham is at the centre of an investigation amid claims it duped inspectors into giving it a better mark by drafting in teachers from other schools and removing disruptive pupils.

St Edmund Campion secondary school in Erdington is being probed by Birmingham City Council and Ofsted after concerns raised about a spot check last year.

It can also be revealed that the school’s head teacher, Philomena Steele, faces a challenge by teachers’ union members, who are pursuing a collective grievance over claims of age discrimination and bullying against staff.

Up to 60 teaching staff have left the school in the last two years and debt has soared to pay for teachers to cover the lessons of employees who are on long-term stress-related absences.

The Birmingham Post understands that the head teacher is the subject of claims she rewrote English coursework for pupils.

But Mrs Steele said: “I refute the allegations and I believe them to be the actions of someone with a grudge against myself and the school.”

Unions are understood to be furious that city leaders have ignored concerns since they were raised last June and has called for Birmingham’s head of schools Tony Howell to act.

One senior official said the council had not carried out interviews with potential witnesses.

The Department for Children, School and Families has ordered a review of last May’s inspection by Ofsted.

Teachers reported concerns to Schools Secretary Ed Balls, after they claimed the council and the school’s governing body had failed to properly investigate.

Signed accounts given to the Post say that a group of “disruptive” youngsters were taken out of classes and sent on a bus to nearby Catholic school where they played games and sport before being taken back at the end of the day.

The inspection on May 7 and 8 also saw a number of teachers from other Catholic schools in the Birmingham area brought in to give lessons, patrol corridors and support permanent staff, it is claimed.

All of the teachers drafted in were allegedly signed in as staff and not visitors.

Mrs Steele was under pressure for the school to perform well during the inspection after being served with a “notice to improve” by Ofsted after a 2008 visit.

In June 2009, after the follow-up visit, the head teacher boasted that the 960-pupil school no longer needed significant improvement and had achieved an 81 per cent rating of lessons that were good or outstanding.

The school saw 43 per cent of pupils achieve at least five good GCSEs including English and maths last year and hoped to top 50 per cent this year.

She said the improvements had been down to “younger and more vibrant staff”.

A number of National Union of Teachers and the NASUWT members are pursuing a collective grievance.

They have set out eight allegations against Mrs Steele.

A disciplinary panel of the schools governing body will be asked to consider whether she has given false information to governors, ignored legitimate complaints and been involved in inappropriate employment practices.