Ofsted places Birmingham secondary school and Lancashire private school under special measures

Ofsted has rated Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School in Birmingham as failing to provide an acceptable standard of education, placing it in special measures. The inspection highlighted serious concerns over teaching quality, pupil behaviour, and the use of racist and sexist language. The school received urgent improvement ratings for attendance, behaviour, leadership and governance, and was flagged for deficiencies in support for pupils with special educational needs.

Separately, Lancashire County Council is spending £600,000 a year to send 15 pupils to Mayfield House School in Chorley, a private specialist school that was also rated inadequate by Ofsted. Inspectors found the curriculum unfit for purpose and inconsistent behaviour management, noting that standards remain unmet despite some improvements. The council said it will continue quality‑assurance visits and safeguarding audits to support further improvements.

Both inspections underscore ongoing challenges in England’s special‑needs education sector and the scrutiny of schools receiving public funding.