Flagship school to take Ofsted to court

A £31million flagship academy opened by Tony Blair is threatening to challenge Ofsted in the courts after inspectors found "significant weaknesses" in its teaching.

Sir David Garrard, the property millionaire who sponsors the school, said it would be making a public stance on behalf of schools and teachers against the "irrational, inconsistent and preposterous posturing" of Ofsted.

He said inspectors meddled with the way teachers at the Business Academy in Bexley, Kent, took their classes and "intimidated and humiliated" staff and pupils.

As one of the Government's semiindependent schools in deprived areas, it is now being monitored by Education Secretary Charles Clarke for fear that the row may cause political embarrassment.

Sir David, who is chairman of the school's governing body, has taken legal advice over bringing a case for a judicial review into the way the inspection was carried out and reported. Ofsted has now withdrawn the original draft report, replacing it with a less formal "monitoring letter" describing "serious weaknesses".

Sir David, however, said Ofsted could be acting illegally by issuing the 10-page letter before conducting an investigation into the school's formal complaint about its procedures.

The academy replaced the failing Thamesmead comprehensive where violence, vandalism and truancy were rife. In 2002 only one pupil in 100 gained five or more A*to C grades.

Tom Widdows, the headteacher, claims that when the inspectors visited they failed to gain a full picture because they arrived at

10.30am and left after lunch on the second day - equivalent to six "inspector days" instead of the recommended 60.