I'm afraid to say that, yet again, the troublesome Left is at it again and upsetting innocent people.
This time, the rabidly Left-wing Ofsted, the government body for regulating schools, has denied a school in Market Rasen in Lincolnshire top grades.
But what did it deny the school top grades for? Is there not enough discipline in the school and the children are running riot? Are the teachers not up to their jobs in teaching the pupils properly?
No, the school's crime is that, despite it being in England, it is "too English". So it seems - rather DISTURBINGLY - English schools can now be denied top grades not because they aren't teaching pupils properly, but because they aren't "ethinically diverse" enough, even if those schools are in areas (like Market Rasen) which are themselves not very "ethnically diverse."
Rural school is denied top grade by Ofsted inspectors because it's 'too English' and not diverse enough
Report said pupils at Middle Rasen Primary School in Lincolnshire lacked 'first-hand experience' of modern British society
Said pupils should interact with 'counterparts from different backgrounds'
But parents criticised 'bizarre' decision because small town is 97% white
'Very few' at the 104-pupil school are from ethnic groups, report says
Headteacher believes comments are reaction to so-called Trojan Horse plot
By Steph Cockroft for MailOnline
19 November 2014
Daily Mail
A high-achieving rural school was denied the top rating by Ofsted after being criticised for being 'too English'.
Inspectors who visited Middle Rasen Primary School in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, penalised the school for not being multicultural enough - despite 97 per cent of the town being white.
Elsewhere, the small 104-pupil school had been highly praised in the report for its management and teaching, plus its well-behaved, courteous and enthusiastic pupils.
Look away now if you find this picture distressing!: Middle Rasen Primary School in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, has missed out on an 'outstanding' rating from Ofsted because it is 'too English'. Pictured: Headteacher Melonie Brunton (back middle) with pupils
Inspectors penalised the 104-pupil school for not being multicultural enough, despite 97 per cent of the town being white. Rather shockingly (if you're an Ofsted inspector) every pupil has English as his or her first language.
But the report said the school, situated in a picturesque small town, was graded as 'good' instead of 'outstanding' because pupils lacked 'first-hand experience of the diverse make up of modern British society'.
The inspector suggested the school works to have 'first-hand interaction with their counterparts from different backgrounds beyond the immediate locality' - but did not specify how this could happen.
The majority of pupils are white British, with 'very few' from ethnic group. Every pupil has English as his or her first language.
The report says: 'Pupils learn about different people's social and ethnic backgrounds, customs and beliefs.
'However, opportunities for them to develop a deeper understanding of the nature of modern British society by interacting at first hand with their counterparts from different cultural background beyond the immediate locality are underdeveloped.'
Pupils being given too hard or easy work, as well as insufficient opportunities for teachers to progress, were also deemed as reasons for why the school was not given the top rating.
Head Melonie Brunton (left) said Ofsted's comments were a backlash against the so-called Trojan Horse plot, while Rev Charles Patrick (right), former head of governors, said town did not have many non-white residents
After the report was published, headteacher Melonie Brunton said the school would look to develop pupils' understanding of multicultural issues.
But she suggested the Ofsted comments were a backlash from the so-called Trojan Horse scandal, in which investigations were conducted into an alleged plot by hardline Muslims to seize control of school governing boards in Birmingham.
Tory MP for Gainsborough Sir Edward Leigh also branded the decision 'political correctness gone mad'.
Meanwhile, angry parents criticised the 'bizarre decision' to 'punish the school for being too English'.
Mother-of-two Kirsty Egen, 29, said: 'I think it's ridiculous. It's a brilliant school.
'I have no doubt that if there were non-white children attending they would make sure they were accommodated and the children interacted.
Elsewhere, the small school had been highly praised in the report for its management and teaching, plus its well-behaved, courteous and enthusiastic pupils
'But they can't force people to come. Why would the school spend time on trying to teach the children how to integrate with people who aren't even there?
'I think the school has been victimised, it seems very vindictive to just mark them down for something they cannot change.'
Jodie Miller, 35, whose six-year-old daughter Dylann attends the school, added: 'I don't think this should be a reason to mark a school down.
'We are a small rural community in Lincolnshire, there just aren't many children here from different backgrounds.
'The staff can't just wander the streets forcing people to come and attend. There are only around 100 pupils in the school overall, you can't expect there to be that many from minorities in that number.
'The school does a lot to try and teach them about other cultures without there being children from other cultures there. It's bizarre to punish them for being too English.'
The town (pictured) is believed to be made up of about 97 per cent white residents, but the school was told that pupils should be more exposed to a range of different backgrounds
Part time administrator Julia Weeks, 47, who has a 10-year-old son at the school said: 'To mark a school down for something they cannot control is crackers.
'They do plenty about other cultures, they learn about them, they are all taught Spanish, it's not like the school has closed off to them.
'If there were more people from ethnic minorities around then maybe you could have a complaint, but there just aren't.'
Another parent Tina Green added: 'The school is excellent, my five-year-old son is autistic and he has come on leaps and bounds since he went there.
'It's not even like the school is entirely white. There are ethnic pupils here, it's just that not many ethnic people live around here, but that is an entirely different matter.
'There really is nothing the school could have done about that, and it doesn't seem fair not to give them an outstanding rating because of this.'
Jodie Miller, pictured with daughter Dylann, said it was 'bizarre' for Ofsted to 'punish' the school for being 'too English'
Father-of-one Benjamin Bannan, 33, added: 'Its outrageous that a British school can be punished for being too British. It just doesn't make sense at all.
'We would welcome people from different cultures with open arms I'm sure - but there just aren't any ethnic minorities around here.'
THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF MARKET RASEN, ACCORDING TO LATEST CENSUS
According to the Office for National Statistics, the latest Census from 2011 shows the demographic of the 5,417 people living in Market Rasen is chiefly White British.
Under the country of birth, the statistics show 5,165 were born in the UK. There were 90 people born in EU countries, with 29 born in Africa and 62 born in the Middle East and Asia.
There were just 30 people born in the Americas and the Caribbean, while nine were born in Oceania.
Under the category entitled 'ethnic group', 5,200 people were White British, while 23 were White Irish. There were 76 people under the category of White Other.
There were just 16 residents of mixed white and black ethnicity, with 16 of mixed white and Asian ethnicity.
There were 17 of Indian ethnicity and 19 of Chinese ethnicity. There were 22 of Black, African, Caribbean or Black British origin.
In terms of main languages spoken, there were 5,246 people who classed English as their first language.
Just 24 had another European language as their first language - including Romanian, Lithuanian, Greek, Swedish and Danish - while another 27 had their first language marked as an East Asian language.
This time, the rabidly Left-wing Ofsted, the government body for regulating schools, has denied a school in Market Rasen in Lincolnshire top grades.
But what did it deny the school top grades for? Is there not enough discipline in the school and the children are running riot? Are the teachers not up to their jobs in teaching the pupils properly?
No, the school's crime is that, despite it being in England, it is "too English". So it seems - rather DISTURBINGLY - English schools can now be denied top grades not because they aren't teaching pupils properly, but because they aren't "ethinically diverse" enough, even if those schools are in areas (like Market Rasen) which are themselves not very "ethnically diverse."
Rural school is denied top grade by Ofsted inspectors because it's 'too English' and not diverse enough
Report said pupils at Middle Rasen Primary School in Lincolnshire lacked 'first-hand experience' of modern British society
Said pupils should interact with 'counterparts from different backgrounds'
But parents criticised 'bizarre' decision because small town is 97% white
'Very few' at the 104-pupil school are from ethnic groups, report says
Headteacher believes comments are reaction to so-called Trojan Horse plot
By Steph Cockroft for MailOnline
19 November 2014
Daily Mail
A high-achieving rural school was denied the top rating by Ofsted after being criticised for being 'too English'.
Inspectors who visited Middle Rasen Primary School in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, penalised the school for not being multicultural enough - despite 97 per cent of the town being white.
Elsewhere, the small 104-pupil school had been highly praised in the report for its management and teaching, plus its well-behaved, courteous and enthusiastic pupils.
Look away now if you find this picture distressing!: Middle Rasen Primary School in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, has missed out on an 'outstanding' rating from Ofsted because it is 'too English'. Pictured: Headteacher Melonie Brunton (back middle) with pupils
Inspectors penalised the 104-pupil school for not being multicultural enough, despite 97 per cent of the town being white. Rather shockingly (if you're an Ofsted inspector) every pupil has English as his or her first language.
But the report said the school, situated in a picturesque small town, was graded as 'good' instead of 'outstanding' because pupils lacked 'first-hand experience of the diverse make up of modern British society'.
The inspector suggested the school works to have 'first-hand interaction with their counterparts from different backgrounds beyond the immediate locality' - but did not specify how this could happen.
The majority of pupils are white British, with 'very few' from ethnic group. Every pupil has English as his or her first language.
The report says: 'Pupils learn about different people's social and ethnic backgrounds, customs and beliefs.
'However, opportunities for them to develop a deeper understanding of the nature of modern British society by interacting at first hand with their counterparts from different cultural background beyond the immediate locality are underdeveloped.'
Pupils being given too hard or easy work, as well as insufficient opportunities for teachers to progress, were also deemed as reasons for why the school was not given the top rating.
Head Melonie Brunton (left) said Ofsted's comments were a backlash against the so-called Trojan Horse plot, while Rev Charles Patrick (right), former head of governors, said town did not have many non-white residents
After the report was published, headteacher Melonie Brunton said the school would look to develop pupils' understanding of multicultural issues.
But she suggested the Ofsted comments were a backlash from the so-called Trojan Horse scandal, in which investigations were conducted into an alleged plot by hardline Muslims to seize control of school governing boards in Birmingham.
Tory MP for Gainsborough Sir Edward Leigh also branded the decision 'political correctness gone mad'.
Meanwhile, angry parents criticised the 'bizarre decision' to 'punish the school for being too English'.
Mother-of-two Kirsty Egen, 29, said: 'I think it's ridiculous. It's a brilliant school.
'I have no doubt that if there were non-white children attending they would make sure they were accommodated and the children interacted.
Elsewhere, the small school had been highly praised in the report for its management and teaching, plus its well-behaved, courteous and enthusiastic pupils
'But they can't force people to come. Why would the school spend time on trying to teach the children how to integrate with people who aren't even there?
'I think the school has been victimised, it seems very vindictive to just mark them down for something they cannot change.'
Jodie Miller, 35, whose six-year-old daughter Dylann attends the school, added: 'I don't think this should be a reason to mark a school down.
'We are a small rural community in Lincolnshire, there just aren't many children here from different backgrounds.
'The staff can't just wander the streets forcing people to come and attend. There are only around 100 pupils in the school overall, you can't expect there to be that many from minorities in that number.
'The school does a lot to try and teach them about other cultures without there being children from other cultures there. It's bizarre to punish them for being too English.'
The town (pictured) is believed to be made up of about 97 per cent white residents, but the school was told that pupils should be more exposed to a range of different backgrounds
Part time administrator Julia Weeks, 47, who has a 10-year-old son at the school said: 'To mark a school down for something they cannot control is crackers.
'They do plenty about other cultures, they learn about them, they are all taught Spanish, it's not like the school has closed off to them.
'If there were more people from ethnic minorities around then maybe you could have a complaint, but there just aren't.'
Another parent Tina Green added: 'The school is excellent, my five-year-old son is autistic and he has come on leaps and bounds since he went there.
'It's not even like the school is entirely white. There are ethnic pupils here, it's just that not many ethnic people live around here, but that is an entirely different matter.
'There really is nothing the school could have done about that, and it doesn't seem fair not to give them an outstanding rating because of this.'
Jodie Miller, pictured with daughter Dylann, said it was 'bizarre' for Ofsted to 'punish' the school for being 'too English'
Father-of-one Benjamin Bannan, 33, added: 'Its outrageous that a British school can be punished for being too British. It just doesn't make sense at all.
'We would welcome people from different cultures with open arms I'm sure - but there just aren't any ethnic minorities around here.'
THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF MARKET RASEN, ACCORDING TO LATEST CENSUS
According to the Office for National Statistics, the latest Census from 2011 shows the demographic of the 5,417 people living in Market Rasen is chiefly White British.
Under the country of birth, the statistics show 5,165 were born in the UK. There were 90 people born in EU countries, with 29 born in Africa and 62 born in the Middle East and Asia.
There were just 30 people born in the Americas and the Caribbean, while nine were born in Oceania.
Under the category entitled 'ethnic group', 5,200 people were White British, while 23 were White Irish. There were 76 people under the category of White Other.
There were just 16 residents of mixed white and black ethnicity, with 16 of mixed white and Asian ethnicity.
There were 17 of Indian ethnicity and 19 of Chinese ethnicity. There were 22 of Black, African, Caribbean or Black British origin.
In terms of main languages spoken, there were 5,246 people who classed English as their first language.
Just 24 had another European language as their first language - including Romanian, Lithuanian, Greek, Swedish and Danish - while another 27 had their first language marked as an East Asian language.
Last edited: