A school in Erith has been rated as “inadequate” after an inspection by Ofsted.  

King Henry School, in Avenue Road, was given the rating as it was found that pupils were frequently missing from lessons.   

The Erith school received its rating in a two-day inspection in May 2022.  

Schools are rated in four categories: outstanding, good, requires improvement, and inadequate. 

It was rated inadequate for quality of education, behaviour of pupils, and leadership.

The report states: “The poor behaviour of pupils at break and lunchtimes makes other pupils feel unsafe. 

“Pupils are frequently missing from lessons for parts of the school day.  

“Leaders are not sure of the whereabouts of pupils who are in school but not in lessons and therefore unsupervised and unregistered during the school day.  

“This puts the safety of these pupils at risk." 

King Henry School is one of two constituent academies of Odyssey Trust for Education. 

Felicia Squire, chair of the board of trustees, said that Leigh Academies Trust has agreed to support the Erith school following the pandemic. 

Felicia explained: "We are delighted to confirm that Leigh Academies Trust has agreed to support King Henry School following a turbulent period in the aftermath of the pandemic. 

"Work is already underway to stabilise the academy, given the impact of covid. 

"Leigh Academies Trust has the capacity to provide significant and immediate support in all the areas identified by Ofsted as requiring improvement."

The education watchdog says leaders must now ensure that all pupils attend lessons and are supervised and registered during the school day.  

The report also said that instances of bullying are frequent and not dealt with effectively by teachers.  

Inspectors in the report said that poor behaviour of pupils are often unchallenged by staff.  

The report explains: "Many pupils have been conditioned to expect poor behaviour and bullying and they seldom report it.  

“Pupils have little confidence in the school to address their concerns.  

“The poor behaviour of pupils at break and lunchtimes makes other pupils feel unsafe." 

The school was praised for their lessons about relationships and sex education, and health education.  

It was noted that students are encouraged to appreciate societal values and the importance of respecting different viewpoints. 

In the report, the inspectors said: “Leaders ensure that pupils receive unbiased advice about the future pathways open to them.  

“The school has a football academy, which is popular with sixth-form students.” 

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