News / Merchant Venturers
Trust ‘truly sorry’ after ‘devastating’ Ofsted inspection
The chair of the Venturers Trust has apologised after a damning Ofsted inspection found serious concerns at one of their schools in Withywood.
Ofsted inspectors visited Merchants’ Academy in March and found the school to be inadequate, down from “requires improvement” in February 2020.
Inspectors found serious failings on their visit to the primary and secondary school in Withywood, which as a whole is attended by around 1,300 children between the ages of three and 18.
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They found that pupils were at risk of harm because of “a lack of robust safeguarding practices”, as well “serious deterioration in the standard of behaviour” at the secondary school, resulting in pupils and staff coming to harm.
They also found “very high levels of persistent and severe absence”, affecting pupils of all ages and “increasing pupils’ exposure to local risks such as gang activity and exploitation”.
Inspectors found that pupils with SEND, many of whom have social, emotional and mental health needs, experienced an “impoverished curriculum”. Merchants’ Academy’s proportion of disadvantaged pupils and SEND pupils is well above average.
Ofsted recommended a number of changes following their conclusions, including establishing a coherent strategy for improving attendance; implementing a clear and confident approach to managing behaviour; and ensuring staff fully understand the signs that pupils might be at risk and report concerns immediately.
In a letter to parents following the report, seen by Bristol24/7, secondary headteacher Guy Swallow – who joined the school in March this year – primary headteacher, Sarah Flannigan, and interim Venturers Trust CEO, David Moran, said they were “truly sorry” for the “devastating report”, and said they would be implementing a “post-Ofsted Action plan” to make improvements.
The report acknowledged there were examples of positive relationships between staff and pupils with “adults within the school who they can trust with their worries” and “some classes” where pupils learn successfully.
Inspectors also noted that the school has taken recent steps to address some of the challenges, but noted there was still a huge amount of work to be done to bring about the improvements that are needed at the school.
Guy Swallow became the headteacher of Merchants’ Academy in March this year – photo: Venturers Trust
In the letter addressed to parents on May 9, both head teachers and the Venturers CEO said: “We believe that it is a fair reflection of what it feels like to be part of Merchants’ Academy.
“The inspectors have identified numerous challenges and made it clear that not enough has been done to ensure that all children receive the best possible education. For this we are truly sorry.
“It is equally devastating for staff to read a report as damning as this. We share a determination to provide pupils with the best possible start to their educational journey, however, we have fallen far short of achieving this aim.”
The school said it had enacted a post-Ofsted Action Plan, which it was developing with input from the Department of Education, Bristol City Council and E-ACT, a multi-academy trust responsible for 28 academies in England.
Outlined in the letter to parents, the trust said the action plan focuses on “providing the best curriculum for our young people, improving the quality of teaching and learning, and raising expectations and standards for everyone.”
It adds: “We are determined to ensure that disadvantaged students and students with special educational needs and disabilities will not fall behind their peers; that every child will attend five lessons every day; and that we will have a culture of honesty and integrity right across the school.”
Merchants’ Academy is part of the Venturers Trust, a multi-academy trust which comprises eight academies across Bristol. The trust is sponsored by the Society of Merchant Venturers and the University of Bristol.
You can read the full statement from Gail Bragg, chair of trustees for Venturers Trust and interim chair, David Moran, below:
“We’re devastated that Merchants’ Academy has not been providing young people and their families with the quality of education they deserve, and as trustees we have fallen short of providing the challenge and support that the school needs.
“For this we are truly sorry. Despite the hard work and determination of so many individuals who have applied their expertise to improve the school, we have been unable to move the dial far enough or fast enough.
“When Merchants’ Academy joined Venturers Trust in 2017, we had a shared mission to provide all children from all backgrounds with the confidence, skills and qualifications to achieve a successful future.
“Pursuing that mission led to us making the decision two years ago to merge Venturers Trust with a much larger, national multi-academy trust.
“Last summer, we chose E-ACT because of its excellent track record of school improvement and its strong moral purpose of addressing inequality through education.
“In preparation for the merger, our academy leadership teams have been working closely with E-ACT since September and the many advantages of this partnership are beginning to embed.
“We’re extremely grateful that members of the E-ACT school improvement team have been working onsite with the team at Merchants’ Academy for the past six months.
“Although the complex process of transferring one multi-academy trust into another takes time, we are confident that the transfer will soon be completed, certainly in time for the new school year, when Merchants’ Academy, along with our seven other academies across Bristol, will benefit fully from the expertise, capacity, resources and funding that E-ACT will bring.
“I know that the Ofsted report will be painful for all members of the school community to read, but I am confident that they will never read a report like this again.
“Under the inspirational leadership of our new headteachers Guy Swallow and Sarah Flannigan; with the ever-growing support of parents and carers who want to help create a school that the community can feel proud of; and with the might of E-ACT to deliver rapid improvement, the future of Merchants’ Academy will look very different.”
Interim CEO of Venturers Trust, David Moran said: “This has unquestionably been a challenging time for both the school and the wider community, but we continue to see the true heart and spirit of Merchants’ Academy every day in our students and staff.
“Their resilience and determination to make this a school that the entire community can be proud of will ensure that this next stage in the school’s journey is successful.”
Merchants’ Academy in Withywood made the news in September last year when the south Bristol school cancelled its A-level courses due to a lack of numbers. In 2017, the school was dubbed the “strictest school in Britain” when it was then run by headteacher Samantha Williamson.
Main photo: Merchants’ Academy Facebook
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