School move from 'dilapidated' site to take years

Plans to move a school from a "dilapidated" site are at a "very initial stage" and will take years to come to fruition, a council leader has said.

Woodeaton Manor School, near Oxford, was rated inadequate and found to be "chaotic" by Ofsted inspectors who visited in October 2023. Its governing body later resigned.

A new head teacher and governors were appointed but - while inspectors found it had improved on a visit in March - it remains in special measures.

Oxfordshire County Council leader Liz Leffman said what had happened at the school was a "very unfortunate episode".

The authority said in June it had suffered "significant financial implications" after the school's former governing body did not "appropriately invest" in its Grade II* listed building and wider site.

The council said it had spent £1.6m improving it, including spending £900,000 on replacing fire doors as well as making other "fire safety improvements to meet the legislative standards".

"None of us are proud of the fact that the school has failed in such a dreadful way and has had such a poor Ofsted report," Leffman told a council meeting on Tuesday.

"The whole question of what happens to the school is under review and we will be announcing in due course what that is going to look like."

In a statement published ahead of the meeting, she said: "Our plans for the future relocation of the school are at a very initial stage and will take a number of years to develop.

"I can understand that for parents and their children, the prospect of moving the school is disturbing. When these plans are firmer, we will involve parents and the school community on how we move forward."

The school has about 80 pupils, all of whom have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

It previously offered residential placements but they were paused following Ofsted's inspection in 2023 and they have since been closed.

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