New head teacher for failing school
Thursday, 9th March 2000.
ACTING headteacher Lynne Austin has taken over at failing Castle Hill Middle School in Haverhill and pledged to do her best to help save it from closure.
Mrs Austin has come from Hardwick Middle School in Bury St Edmunds, which she has just seen through its own OFSTED inspection.
She was appointed as acting head at Castle Hill after an unsuccessful campaign by parents to get previous head Jean Waite reinstated after she resigned before half-term.
Castle Hill was classed as a failing school last April and is currently under special measures until May 2001, when closure could be considered as an option if standards are not improved.
Angry parents claimed Mrs Waite had been made a scapegoat by Government inspectors who had not made enough allowance for the caring ethos of the school or its high proportion of pupils with special needs.
Mrs Austin said her first aim was to take stock of what was happening at the school and consolidate so pupils got back to working normally.
She hoped to form a PTA and work with staff, pupils and parents to raise standards.
"I have already met some very decent children who have received me very well and made me welcome. I knew Mrs Waite before and she was pleased that I am the person taking over from her," she said.
"I would not have taken the job if I did not think I could do it but I cannot do it alone.
"Everyone has got to work together and I am sure we will get there. "There are a lot of good things going on at Castle Hill and we want to keep that but things have also got to change. We have got to raise standards.
"My personal opinion is that OFSTED is very fair but the criteria they work on goes against schools like this.
"It is not the fault of the inspectors, it is the system, but the fact is that the children have got to do better and, with all the positive things going on here and a lot of local support, I believe they will.
Mrs Austin has come from Hardwick Middle School in Bury St Edmunds, which she has just seen through its own OFSTED inspection.
She was appointed as acting head at Castle Hill after an unsuccessful campaign by parents to get previous head Jean Waite reinstated after she resigned before half-term.
Castle Hill was classed as a failing school last April and is currently under special measures until May 2001, when closure could be considered as an option if standards are not improved.
Angry parents claimed Mrs Waite had been made a scapegoat by Government inspectors who had not made enough allowance for the caring ethos of the school or its high proportion of pupils with special needs.
Mrs Austin said her first aim was to take stock of what was happening at the school and consolidate so pupils got back to working normally.
She hoped to form a PTA and work with staff, pupils and parents to raise standards.
"I have already met some very decent children who have received me very well and made me welcome. I knew Mrs Waite before and she was pleased that I am the person taking over from her," she said.
"I would not have taken the job if I did not think I could do it but I cannot do it alone.
"Everyone has got to work together and I am sure we will get there. "There are a lot of good things going on at Castle Hill and we want to keep that but things have also got to change. We have got to raise standards.
"My personal opinion is that OFSTED is very fair but the criteria they work on goes against schools like this.
"It is not the fault of the inspectors, it is the system, but the fact is that the children have got to do better and, with all the positive things going on here and a lot of local support, I believe they will.
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