Popular Milton Keynes primary school explains why it's had no Ofsted inspection for the past 14 years

A city primary school has explained why it has had no Ofsted inspection for the past 14 years.

The last time Ofsted inspectors visited Two Mile Ash School was in 2009, when they judged it be be ‘Outstanding’.

Some parents have expressed concern about the lack of subsequent scrutinies, saying they would expect them to be carried out every four years or so.

One parent said: “Many teachers have come and gone in that time... Children have left and life itself has changed considerably since 2009. It's far too long a time to not have an Ofsted review.”They added: “A lot can change, even with just a new headteacher, let alone the many changes between 20+ potential class teachers, head of year teachers, senior leadership team, support staff, students and parents. The Ofsted won't be remotely reflective of the school’s current state.”

Since the 2009 inspection the school has converted to an Academy and is now run by the Inspiring Futures Through Learning (IFTL) Multi Academy Trust, which was established in 2016.

Parents claim the school is dozens of pupils over capacity, with an average of 34 pupils per class.

"Because of the antiquated ‘outstanding’ Ofsted, it's a highly sought after school,” said one. “This drives richer parents to purchase/rent homes close to the school purely to guarantee a space there, meanwhile those for whom it is their only catchment school – ie people on Great Holm or Crownhill – cannot get a space because the admissions policy means that ‘as the crow flies’, there are children living closer.”

Today (Tuesday) IFTL chief executive officer Sarah Bennett told the Citizen: “Ofsted is an independent, Government department responsible for inspecting schools, nurseries, and other childcare providers across the country. Ofsted’s inspectors are responsible for inspecting schools within their own timelines and provide schools with no more than one day’s notice before an inspection takes place.

“Until recent changes were announced by Ofsted, schools that were previously judged to be ‘Outstanding’ were exempt from regular inspections unless serious concerns about standards were raised. This means that many schools across the UK have inspection reports that are older than 10 years.”

She added: “We believe that all schools should be regularly inspected to ensure they are providing the best standards of education for children in our communities, and we are pleased that Ofsted are now doing this for all schools.

"We are very proud of the successes at Two Mile Ash, the role it plays in training new teachers for our region, and we look forward to welcoming them into Two Mile Ash and our other schools in the future.”

The Government’s education website states: “A school judged good or outstanding at its most recent inspection will normally receive an inspection approximately every four years, to confirm that the school remains good or outstanding.

"We call this an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection.”