A Morden secondary school faces a radical shake-up after failing its recent Ofsted inspection, the Wimbledon Guardian can reveal.

Bishopsford Art College, in Lilleshall Road, is understood to have failed in each of its inspection categories and will be placed into special measures by the Department of Education.

It also means the struggling school, which opened as a state comprehensive in 1999, is likely to become a city academy school or federated with an existing academy school in Merton.

Mitcham and Morden MP Siobhain McDonagh has now called for Harris Academy Merton to take over Bishopsford, after the Mitcham-based school underwent a dramatically positive turnaround.

A source at Merton Council has confirmed that talks are already under way with Harris Academy Merton to take over Bishopsford.

Harris, based in Wide Way, Mitcham, replaced the struggling Tamworth Manor school in 2006 and two years later was graded as “outstanding” in a 2008 Ofsted report.

Ms McDonagh said: "It is sad news and I am sorry that this has happened, but it is also an opportunity to now approach Harris, who have done an extremely good job in Mitcham and Pollards Hill.

"I would be very grateful if they would consider taking on Bishopsford as well."

Merton Council set to announce academy sponsor for Bishopsford

Merton Council's cabinet Member for education, Peter Walker, said he wanted to keep all of Merton's schools within the control of the council as the local authority.

But, he explained, recent changes to the law mean that academy status needs to be sought for failing schools.

Coun Walker said: “I have said in the past that my preference is that we keep local schools accountable to the council and to local people.

"With active assistance from the borough Bishopsford has been steadily improving its GCSE results and last year achieved 43 per cent 5A*-C with English and Maths.

"However under the new Ofsted inspection framework, when the school has been placed in special measures, the Secretary of State expects Academy status to be actively considered."

Coun Walker confirmed he will set out proposals to the council's cabinet at its next meeting on March 12 for the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, to name a sponsor for Bishopsford as an Academy school.

The headteacher of Bishopsford Art College, Andrew Barker, said he would not comment until the school's final Ofsted report had been finalised and published.

Merton Conservatives' education spokesman, Councillor Richard Hilton, said: "Obviously it is very worrying for parents and pupils alike to see our schools performance standards slip under the Labour administration in Merton.

"However we must all rally together to ensure the right support is in place for teachers, parents and pupils at the school.

"There will be a great deal of uncertainty and questions to be answered in the coming days and weeks, but we welcome the opportunity that becoming an Academy offers to all those involved in the school following the significant improvements in standards and results in other Merton Academy schools'.

Last inspection praised school for making "remarkable things happen"

In its last school inspection in April 2009, the school was praised for moving in the right direction but criticised for having poor student attendance and weak progress among students with learning difficulties.

Ofsted inspector, Michael Lynes, reported: “Bishopsford has gone through some considerable difficulty over the past three years.

"It is now emerging from that period as a satisfactory and improving school, which the local community is rightly supportive of.

"This is now a school where remarkable things can and do happen.

“Inspectors observed both an outstanding English lesson and a moving, inspirational assembly. That students now have these kinds of experiences represents a notable change from the last inspection.”

But he warned: “There remain some important inconsistencies in the quality of the work of both senior andmiddle leaders, particularly with regard to attendance the the progress of students with learning difficulties.

"As a result, challenges remain to ensure that the school realises its ambition to be securely good.

"Because senior leaders and governors evaluate the quality of the school’s work honestly and accurately, parents and students can have confidence that these issues will be tackled effectively.”

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