Jonathan Ullmer MBE

CATS College in Cambridge fared little better with major concerns on academic work, management, analysis of data, resources, performance management and attendance. The request for consideration for the Award of Excellence is not only for the major investment at Canterbury (nearly £11million), but also for the astonishing rate of progress, where in the space of less than two years both colleges experienced ‘radical’ transformation and obtained Good or Outstanding in all inspection judgements. According to the Price Waterhouse Cooper report, less than 10% of schools in the UK obtained a comment on Outstanding leadership who were not outstanding in other areas (CATS Cambridge).

The issues from the CATS Inspection Reports:

CATS Canterbury

• ‘The college makes inadequate provision for students’ welfare, health and safety’

• ‘The school's policy on child protection is also inadequate’

• ‘There are significant weaknesses in provisions to safeguard the boarders’

• ‘the overall quality of the provision for national minimum standards for boarding and that for students’ welfare, health and safety are inadequate because of a failure to meet important regulations relating to students’ well-being’

• ‘The school does not meet all requirements in respect of suitability of proprietor and

• Staff’

• ‘The school does not meet all requirements in respect of the premises and accommodation’

• ‘The college provides too little guidance about its expectations for programme planning.’

• ‘it provides too little on creative and aesthetic areas of learning in subjects such as art, music and design’

• ‘a limited focus on developing literacy skills’

• ‘the provision for personal, social and health education is not suitably planned’

• ‘the number of extra-curricular activities at the end of the day and for the weekends is too limited’

• ‘the policies and procedures for recruiting staff, first aid, anti-bullying, the management of behaviour and educational visits are insufficiently detailed to ensure that effective practice takes place’

•  ‘The college does not have the required single central register of staff’

• ‘The canteen facilities are a source of considerable discontent amongst Students’

• ‘The school does not meet all requirements in respect of the curriculum’

• ‘The school does not meet all requirements in respect of provision for pupils’ welfare,

• health and safety’

•  ‘The school does not meet all requirements in respect of the provision of information

• for parents, carers and others’

• ‘there are significant weaknesses relating to the health and safety of boarders’

• ‘The school does not effectively support boarder's health needs’

• ‘The staff lack training in the administration of medication and do not obtain consent for medical treatment’

•  ‘There is also no overall behaviour management policy’