HOW far down does Lydney's Whitecross School have to get before its governors wake up and see the reality?

Why has the head teacher been given a vote of confidence by the governors when the school has been put into "special measures"?

Many parents wrote to the school, made complaints in person and have asked for answers over the past two or three years, only to be met by a barrage of rebuff and denial from both senior leaders and the governors themselves. Weak governors have, in my opinion, assumed an ostrich approach for far too long.

However, inevitably, what many parents, both past and present, have seen clearly for some time has finally been acknowledged by Ofsted. Whitecross School requires "special measures". This could surely have been avoided had governors opened their eyes and done their jobs rather than supporting senior leaders without question.

The report tells us that "the school roll is reducing as a result of falling numbers of secondary age students in the local area". Really? The report does not mention students haemorrhaging out of Whitecross whilst other schools in the area are turning away students of all ages because they are full. The governors got off lightly with that one!

At Whitecross, "the effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement" is described as "inadequate"; as is the "effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination". The "outcome for individuals and groups of pupils" is also deemed "inadequate".

Strangely, "the effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met" achieved a "satisfactory". This is strange since they appear to systematically ignore the concerns of parents and only two members of the governing body were consulted during the inspection. Everyone knows that only a handful of the governors appeared at the parents' meeting to hear parents' concerns, failing to allay fears and, rather, inflaming through their arrogant and cavalier attitude. Most unsatisfactory!

We could mention the quality of teaching mentioned in the report. However, I think we all know quality in any organisation resonated from the top. Excellent teachers can only be excellent under conductive circumstances and I believe most parents, and not least the staff themselves, understand that all the teachers at Whitecross have the potential to be outstanding – they just need the opportunity of excellent leadership to facilitate that.

Ofsted conclude that "the school's capacity for sustained improvement" is inadequate. So, why, why are the governors so set on obstructing what is clearly required for our community's school? To any educated person – indeed anyone with half a brain – it is clear that a change of leadership is paramount for the survival of Whitecross School and for the protection of the education of our children. Again, I ask why the governing body cannot see that this is vital when it is blatantly obvious to everyone else?

But perhaps the school itself is not only to blame. Parents have written to Ofsted, Michael Gove himself, Mark Harper MP, the Local Authority in it's many facets and other agencies. We are asked to believe "Every Child Matters" but experience dictates that this is empty. When a weak board of governors decides that one or two people's reputations are more worthy of protection than the education of some 900 children, then every child certainly does not matter to them or anybody else.

The "overall effectiveness" of Whitecross School is described as "inadequate" and yet the governors of Whitecross School saw fit to vote to keep senior leaders and will not, according to their stance at the recent meeting, back down. Parents with a belief that their children should matter should, without question, campaign for a new governance and new leadership.

– Name and address supplied.