By Gavin Mackintosh-
Ofsted has praised a Bradford Secondary school which was once written off secondary school that education bosses once considered closing because of its failing standards.
Belle Vue Boys School in Heaton was a failing school filled with troubled children with weak standards. It was put in special measures by Ofsted following a damning inspection report that said the school was inadequate in every aspect.
The school, now an academy and re-named Beckfoot Upper and has been described as ‘good’ in every category in an Ofsted report that hails its huge turnaround. It has been renamed as Beckfoot Upper
The report published today praises improvements in results, pupil behaviour and staff morale. An Ofsted report by inspectors in 2014 concluded there were few signs of improvement at Belle Vue Boys, then ranked among the worst-performing nationally at GCSE level.
The school had struggled financially due to low pupil applications that left hundreds of vacant spaces unfilled. Eventually, the options for Belle Vue Boys’ future, including closing it down and moving pupils to a new free school was considered. However, the Blackfoot Trust agreed to take on the school, converting it into Beckfoot Upper Heaton.
It became a mixed sex school and undertook renovations in a new building.
The report credits the school leadership of the headteacher in establishing discipline and good behaviour.
It says: “Since joining the Beckfoot Trust, leaders have transformed the school. The headteacher provides strong leadership, and through his work in partnership with trust leaders, he has rapidly developed leadership capacity across the school at all levels. Staff morale is high and pupils are overwhelmingly positive about their experiences. As a result, all aspects of the school have improved
