'Super-head' quits troubled school

April 03, 2004

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A "SUPER-teacher" brought in to turn around one of the worst schools in Britain has resigned after standards dropped even further.

Vicki Devonport was made head teacher of Harrop Fold High, in Little Hulton, Salford, in January last year.

Seven months later, in one of the most damning Ofsted reports ever published on a Salford school, the standards of teaching were condemned as poor, academic achievementwell below average with pupils disruptive and out of control.

The one glimmer of hope in the report was praise for Mrs Devonport's leadership qualities and efforts to improve the school.

But, in December, inspectors carried out a monitoring inspection and concluded that teaching standards had got worse.

Yesterday, Mrs Devonport left, after just 14 months in the job.

In a letter to parents, Mark Reeves, chair of governors, says: "Harrop Fold was placed into the category of special measures following an inspection last year. Since then, we have had a number of monitoring visits by various agencies.

"These visits have highlighted both where we need to make further progress and have described where limited progress has been made.

"Recognising that we need to be making more progress and at a faster rate, Mrs Devonport has taken the decision to stand down as head teacher of the school. We are grateful to her for all the hard work she has put in since her appointment. She has worked long hours and has demonstrated great commitment to Harrop Fold."

The school is due to be rebuilt at a cost of up to £18m under Private Finance Initiative funding and open in 2007. The 1,300-pupil school was formed three years ago after the controversial merger of Joseph Eastham and Little Hulton community high schools, which was opposed by many parents.

Mrs Devonport had been head teacher at Queen's Park Technology College, Blackburn, for four years before taking the Salford job.

She has a degree in modern languages from Durham University and also taught at Mansfield High School, Walton High, before becoming head of languages at Park High, Colne, and deputy head teacher at Darwen Moorland High.

At the time that she joined Harrop Fold she said: "I am looking forward very much to the challenge ahead.

"My aspiration would be to create a happy, secure and welcoming, yet dynamic and forward looking school, which provides the opportunity for students to achieve their best, as well as encouraging staff loyalty and unity of purpose."

In the latest league tables, last year 25 per cent of pupils obtained five A-C Grade GCSEs compared with the city average of 35.9 per cent.

The Ofsted report said that children join the school with standards of attainment that are below average, and by the time they leave their standards are well below average. Bad behaviour was highlighted.

Last year, a group of parents sought legal advice as they believed the school had failed to provide adequate teaching.

Shirley Jones, of the Harrop Fold Action Group, who has a 13-year-old daughter at the school, said: "I am shocked at Mrs Devonport's departure. She was supposed to be the saviour for the school, but it is an indication of how bad things are."

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Joanne Blakeley, Worsley (03/04/2004 at 15:43)

I was sad to see this report, I attended Joseph Eastham High School in th late eighties and it was then seen as one of the top schools in the area. The teachers were hard working highly motivated individuals that wanted the best for the pupils, and although I was not one of the high achievers I was given all the support I needed. They instilled in me a wish to achieve and be proud of myself, I went on to gain a degree in later life. The teachers that taught myself now work for Harrop fold, they have not suddenly become bad teachers as the ofsted report suggests, I believe that they have lost the insentive to try to help pupils who don't care or don't want to be there. How demoralising must this be, and how hard to teach those who do want to learn in a class full of this type of individual.

The blight of this once proud school is just a symptom of the continued degredation of the youth today, teachers and students who want to learn don't stand a chance.

Michelle, Manchester (05/04/2004 at 10:51)

There are teachers at Harrop Fold High who are absolutely brilliant. Why is it that the teachers seem to take the full brunt of blame? There are teachers at this school who do their upmost and they don't get any gratitude, except frustration and stress from the damning reports. Maybe instead of laying critism at the many hardworking teachers, the public could try and understand the difficulty of standing in front of the classroom teaching people that don't want to be taught.

sandra, walkden (24/04/2004 at 00:14)

So Michelle from Manchester, and Joanne Blakeley from Worsley have voiced their opinions on the teachers at Harrop Fold, and how difficult it must be for them to try and teach pupils that don't want to be taught. They obviously have first hand experience of this.....or have they?

Disruptive children? Yes, there is a small majority I'm sure, but isn't that problem at most High Schools? So what could be the difference between Harrop Fold and other High Schools? Teaching standards and dealing with disruptive children accordingly and professionally. Ofsted have got it spot on...
Wake up and smell the coffee!!

Shirley, Walkden (29/04/2004 at 22:44)

Michelle and Joanne should have read the full Ofsted report available on their website before making their comments. Had they have read the report they would know it stated that'Few children had received the education to which they were entitled' and 'only 1 in 5 year 11 (2003) received their entitlement' which equates to 80% of last years year 11 students NOT receiving the education they were entitled to BY LAW in their final and most vital year. Those kids left without ever knowing it wasn't their fault. How were those children ever going to get the GSCE results that they were truly capable of under those conditions? No one seems to care about the pupils who have been damaged by all this. What about those children who just don't stand a chance thanks to all those who wanted the amalgamation to go ahead. They were warned of the consequences but went ahead regardless of the effects on these unfortunate children and all so they could get their grubby mitts on PFI funding. I went to Joseph Eastham too and my daughter is a pupil there now so at least I can speak from first hand experience. Until the amalgamation it was a good school, received a good Ofsted report and was 5th in the local league tables. Within 2 years it's in special measures and next from the bottom of those tables. It's obvious even to the uninformed why the school is in the mess it's in. That's why the community fought hard to stop it but were ignored by the 'powers that be'. Personally, I don't know how they can sleep at night knowing what they have done to over 1300 children.

A Concerned Reader, Manchester (31/05/2004 at 02:14)

Your readers are right in their observations concerning Harrop Fold, I also was a pupil of Joseph Easthams and faught against the amalgamtion. Michelle from Manchester, and Joanne Blakeley from Worsley have voiced their opinions on the teachers at Harrop Fold, and I believe they are right the teachers are not to blame. As they state many of them were there before the amalgamation. So who really is to blame? Answer Salford LEA and Salford Council. More specifically Mark Caroline and Roger Jones who were so keen in 2000 to press for the amalgamation against parents wishes, and common sense. They rushed the process and made rash promises that childrens education would not suffer as a result of their proposals. Parents were told they did not understand and there was no alternative and they thought best, when parents complained and told them it would not work. But our so called representatives thought they knew better, and rushed the decision to amalgamate in an attempt to capture PPP/PFI funding which was on offer. Funding which should have been in place before amalgmation could even be legally considered, and we now know was not available at the time. By Sept 2001 the amalgamation was official and the school is still spread over two sites! A feature they tend to exploite like a mirarge, when news is bad the school is located at Little Hulton, and when news is good it's located in Walkden! Three years after and we are now informed a new school will not be ready until 2007! Meanwhile B#millions have been and continues to be wasted on buildings refurbished before the amalgamation, and claimed to have no future. The 2000 post ofstead proposal claimed claimed a 1/2 per annum saving!
Meanwhile teaching standards have seriously declined because of the logistics of trying to manage two schools a mile apart.
I hope the parents and residents of Salford make full use of their opertunity to vote in June and make those responsible pay for their incompetance, and with a bit of luck replace them with representatives who do care more about educational standards than leasing our schools!

A Concerned Reader, Manchester (31/05/2004 at 13:09)

The 2000 post ofstead proposal claimed claimed a 1/2 per annum saving! - Should read "The 2000 post ofstead proposal claimed a B#1/2 million per annum saving!"

Brian Lineker, Belgium (28/07/2004 at 01:40)

Although out of the area now, this is my old School, A fantastic school which added to the extrinsic ambience of the local community, when I livwd there. I was house Captain and Prefect in the year 84 and If it's discipline you want, well I am now A Regimental Sergeant Major in the Army and would be glad to take the post of Head Teacher. God bless Joey's and God bless Windsor House

jamie, manchester (29/10/2004 at 21:48)

the school has been appauling during the past,But the new head master at the school,mr edkins.Has turned the school around and the school has now very much improved.

jennie c, manchester (18/03/2005 at 09:29)

I am a pupil at what is 'meant to be' the worst school in salford.Im in year ten and I will admitt that over the four years I have been here I have had four different headteachers who where all quick to 'abandon a sinking ship'. Bar one. Mr Edkins. In my opinion he has improved the school and its standards dramatically in the last year. The school has become a nicer environment for people to work and a more enjoyable place to be. I am taking a english media studies exam and a I.T exam a year early. People shouldn't believe everything they read in the newspapers, because most of it isn't true!

Jo, Manchester (05/04/2005 at 12:00)

I understand what they are saying about the school getting better, but the school failed me, and I'm suffering for it now.

I was an okay student, I'll admit I wasn't the best there, but I wasn't disruptive etc.

Before the amalgamation I was achieving grades above B's, then when the schools joined, my grades fell, and I ended up getting bad grades, I did get my 5 A-C's, but only just. I know a lot of people who were in the school when I was that have also failed because of the school. Something needs to be done, otherwise the younger generations are going to suffer more then we did!!!!!

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