Six Nottingham schools put into special measures after Ofsted inspections

Concerns were raised over their performance by a local MP

The inspections came after local Labour MP and city headteachers had met Education Secretary Michael Gove to discuss ways of improving performance in the city (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

A blitz on a city’s secondary schools by inspectors has led to six of them being declared failing and put into special measures, it was announced on Thursday.

Education standards watchdog Ofsted set in motion inspections of eight of Nottingham’s 15 secondary schools after concerns were expressed over their performance.

As a result, six - including three academies - have been found to be performing poorly and a seventh is said to have “serious weaknesses”. The eighth - Nottingham Girls’ Academy - was given a clean bill of health following an investigation into falling English GCSE results.

The inspections came after local Labour MP Graham Allen and city headteachers had met Education Secretary Michael Gove to discuss ways of improving performance in the city.

A challenge board has been set up in the city “to ensure all children in the city have the chance to go to a good school as soon as possible”, said Ofsted regional director for the East Midlands Louise Soden.

Details of the inspections were first revealed in the Independent earlier this month. The six schools are Farnborough School Technology College, Big wood School, Hadden Park High School, Djanogly City Academy, the Bulwell Academy and Nottingham University Samworth Academy. The school with serious weaknesses is Ellis Guilford School and Sports College.

Meanwhile, ministers have been accused of making the Discovery New School in Crawley - which they ordered to close on Friday - a “scapegoat” for their “rushed and ill-considered” free schools programme.

Chris Cook, chairman of governors at the school, said they had been prepared to “crucify” the school - rather than give it time to improve. The decision came just 12 days after a new head had taken over at the school.