Another Kent school has lost its outstanding Ofsted rating under new framework guidelines put in place by the education regulator.

Meopham Secondary School in Wrotham Road, Meopham was previously rated outstanding at its last inspection in 2019 and has been flooded with pupils eager to join in the last four years.

However the popular school has now had its rating downgraded to “good” following its most recent inspection, with areas for improvement including attendance, behaviour and helping students embed knowledge.

The school welcomed a new head teacher this year. And he says he is “pleased” with the outcome.

In a letter to parents Mr Prebble said: “Whilst the school was previously graded 'Outstanding' in January 2019, this was under a very different framework.

“I am therefore exceptionally proud that Ofsted have once again recognised the many strengths of our school, which is testament to the hard work and commitment of our staff and students.

“The report outlines the strengths of our school and in particular what it is like to attend from a student perspective.

“It is particularly pleasing to note that the first statement within the report exemplifies what our students experience on a daily basis stating that pupils are proud to attend this inclusive and positive school and value the supportive and nurturing relationships they have with staff."

The school agreed with Ofsted’s observations that areas of focus should continue to be working with parents to improve students' attendance, further embedding renewed behaviour systems, and supporting students in the retention of knowledge over time.”

Meopham School is just the latest in a long list of schools which were previously outstanding to have been downgraded to “good” including Wilmington Grammar School for Girls in Dartford and Rochester Grammar School.

Gravesend Grammar and Mayfield Grammar are outstanding but neither has had an inspection since June 2015 and June 2013 respectively.

While Dartford Grammar School and Dartford Grammar School for Girls are the only ones in the borough to have kept their outstanding status, following an inspection under the new framework in December.

The news comes as the schools’ watchdog announced on Monday changes to the inspection system in England following the death of Reading head teacher Ruth Perry, after her school was downgraded to the lowest rating by Ofsted.

Schools will now be given more information around the timing of their inspections, and a consultation on reforms to the complaints system will be launched.

Schools graded inadequate overall only due to ineffective safeguarding – where all other judgments were good or better – will be revisited by inspectors within three months of a report being published as part of the reforms.

Since Ms Perry’s death in January there have been calls for the one-word Ofsted ratings to be abolished.

But speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Ofsted’s chief inspector Amanda Spielman said: “It’s not for me to decide that there will or won’t be judgments in this system.”

When challenged on why single-word judgments have not been replaced despite calls by headteachers, Ms Spielman said: “We could write a sentence that captured all the things that typically are reflected in an inadequate judgment and use that, but the feedback when we talk to people is they know that if the consequences are the same, if the significance of it is the same, it would come to mean exactly the same very quickly.”

As part of the changes announced on Monday, inspection reports will refer to the school, rather than individuals, when discussing areas of weakness.

Ofsted added that inspectors will be clear that it is up to a head teacher to decide which colleagues, or others, they share their inspection outcome with – ahead of the report being finalised.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said the Ofsted changes were “right”.

Mr Gove told Times Radio: “I think that all of us recognise that the Ofsted process can be a testing one and all of us are aware of the particular individual case that has shone a light on inspection, but rigorous independent inspection of our schools has contributed to the improvement of education alongside the excellent work that teachers and head teachers do.”

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “Today’s announcements are a really important step.

“I have committed to continuing our work on improving the way we inspect our schools with Ofsted and the family of Ruth Perry following her tragic death.”