Ofsted was today under pressure to explain why it decided not to publish the full report of an investigation into a Bath secondary school.
A petition has been launched by a "concerned parent" at Oldfield School saying they want to know more about what inspectors found during their recent visit.
Meanwhile the Department for Education is arranging a meeting with head teacher Kim Sparling and chair of governors Julie Cope to discuss the issues raised following the inspection.
A limited report which focused on safeguarding and highlighted concerns about governance and leadership, including whether staff complaints and whistleblowing were properly dealt with, was published yesterday.
However, Ofsted is coming under increasing pressure to explain why the full Ofsted report has not been released.
The team of inspectors who visited the Kelston Road academy back in December were initially called in because the Chief Inspector of Schools Sir Michael Wilshaw was concerned about the number of complaints and allegations made about the school.
But, this was quickly upgraded to a full Ofsted inspection, which saw the inspectors look at 53 responses to a staff questionnaire, consider 11 written or emailed submissions from serving staff and hold meetings or telephone conversations with 14 members of staff who requested to speak to the team.
While the letter published yesterday makes strong criticism about the way the school is run, unlike a full Ofsted report it has no implication on Oldfield's overall rating, which remains outstanding.
The report says that the Department for Education (DfE) will be involved with an "external review of governance" and has been asked to consider a number of complaints from staff and Bath and North East Somerset Council which lie outside Ofsted's remit.
A DfE spokeswoman said: "A meeting is being arranged with the school's head and chair of governors to discuss the content of Ofsted's letter, published yesterday.
"The department takes the recommendations of the Ofsted inspection very seriously."
A petition has been launched calling for Ofsted to publish the full inspection report, which if it contained similar criticisms of leadership and management, could mean Oldfield being stripped of its outstanding Ofsted rating.
The petition says: "As parents we have the right to know what these concerns are and what is going to be done about them.
"How are we able to see if changes are being made if the problem is being hidden by the veil of spin that the head teacher has just put out?"
An Ofsted spokesman denied that intervention from the DfE or legal action by the school had stopped the full report being published.
However, when asked why the full report had not been published and whose decision that was, he would only say: "We went into Oldfield School to consider the issues raised by a number of complaints.
"We did this under the Chief Inspector's powers laid down in section 8 of the Education Act 2005.
"When we considered the evidence, we judged that it was best to use the normal reporting format for such an inspection."
The Chronicle has continued to ask Ofsted questions about the apparent disappearance of the full Ofsted report.
Information on the school's website contains only the positive aspects of the latest report, with no mention of the concerns raised about leadership and governance and a link to the 2012 outstanding report.
When contacted by the Chronicle, asking her if she was concerned about the way her leadership and the governance of the school had been portrayed in the Ofsted letter, Mrs Sparling said: "The excellent team of governors who make up the governing body are the very same ones who were here at Oldfield in September 2012.
"The governing body has always been very strong, they are able to carry out their roles effectively by having regular governing body and committee meetings and by attending annual review meetings with every subject area in the school.
"Even though there is no legal requirement from DfE we still set targets for achievement, thereby driving up standards. It is important to note that our achievement was even stronger in 2013 than when Ofsted last came.
"The governors are keen to ensure that the highest standards of behaviour and teaching and learning are maintained, thereby leading to outstanding achievement. As head teacher I am extremely lucky to have such a strong committed team of governors at the school."
The Chronicle has also asked Mrs Sparling if she knows why the full report has not been published and if we can be put in contact with the chair of governors, but this has not yet happened.
This report comes at a time when parents across B&NES are considering secondary school options for September, with decisions due to be made next month.Read the Oldfield School inspection report
