Controversial academy rated “outstanding” by Ofsted despite survey responses from parents saying their child was unhappy there

Ofsted graded a now-controversial academy as “outstanding” two years ago despite nearly one in four parents, who responded to a survey by the inspectorate, then telling it that their children were unhappy there.

The inspectorate gave Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy (MVPA) its highest rating in 2022-23, but with the report on the school giving no indication of parental views on it – despite these being, this website’s analysis shows, less positive than average, especially for a highly-graded school.

On Sunday, the school in Hackney, East London, was the subject of a story in the Observer stating that a group of nearly 30 parents and former teachers had spoken out about treatment of children at the school.

Parents had accused the school of “causing serious harm to children’s mental health,” reported the newspaper, with the group urging the local authority to intervene.

At the end of the piece, a spokesperson for the Mossbourne Federation was quoted saying: “We were saddened to read these accounts as we do not recognise the characterisation of the school…We take any issues raised by parents seriously and investigate them fully. We have also had external reviews by Ofsted and the local authority – in none of these were any concerns raised.”

Ofsted report