One of Bristol’s most famous schools has a new headteacher - whose first job is to oversee the rapid improvement on the orders of Ofsted. Vanetta Spence, known to children and teachers across Bristol as ‘Ben’, will take over the running of Montpelier High School from June 1.
The school’s previous principal left in December after a bombshell Ofsted report which took the all girls school from a reputation as the best state school in the city to requiring improvement, and the school has since been run by interim principal Brendan Hesketh.
Read next: Montpelier High School apologises to parents as Ofsted judges it 'still inadequate'
Ms Spence has been the headteacher at May Park Primary School in Eastville since 2019 and before that worked in different leadership roles at Fairfield High School for 16 years, up to a position of vice-principal.
She has been chosen to turnaround Montpelier High School by the Venturers’ Trust, the umbrella academy trust organisation which runs many schools in Bristol and has Bristol University and the Society of Merchant Venturers as its sponsors.
Ms Spence first arrived in Bristol 25 years ago to study at the University of the West of England, and transformed May Park Primary in the four years she’s been there, after it was placed in special measures.
She takes on Montpelier High School following the Ofsted report in June 2022. It was the first time Ofsted inspectors visited the school in 12 years following an ‘outstanding’ inspection in 2010, and during the 2010s, the school was consistently ranked as the best or most in-demand state secondary school in Bristol. But when they returned in March and May last year, they concluded the school had serious issues around safeguarding, and said the school was ‘inadequate’ and ‘requires improvement’.
In January this year, Bristol Live revealed the school had apologised to parents again, after a second inspection found the school was not doing enough to address ‘serious weaknesses’, and was making ‘insufficient progress’.
Many of the issues for the Ofsted inspectors were around the children feeling safe at school, bullying and the pupils’ ability to go to staff with safeguarding issues. The school has around 925 pupils and is an all-girls school up to Year 11, with a co-ed sixth form called V6.
Tracey Killen, the chair of governors at Montpelier High School, said Ms Spence has a ‘sharp vision’ to improve things.
“Everyone who has met Ben either through the interview process or around the school site, has a sense of excitement about the future,” she said. “Ben’s drive and energy will inspire those around her to want to be the best version of themselves. She is a highly accomplished educationalist with a sharp vision; and she is ambitious for the future of our school.
“Critically, Ben shares our commitment to place the future of our students at the heart of everything we do,” she added.
David Watson, the chief executive of the Venturers' Trust, said there had been an ‘exceptionally strong’ field of candidates who wanted the job. “MHS has evolved significantly over the past few years and the school community has embraced every opportunity to change and improve,” he said. “With the strategic appointment of Ben Spence, specifically the expertise, tenacity and vision that she will bring to this leadership role, MHS will grow from strength to strength,” he added.
Montpelier High School changed its name in late 2020 - it had been called Colston’s Girls’ School for 125 years, but after a consultation with parents, staff and pupils, opted for the name change following the toppling of the statue of the Bristol slave trader in June 2020.
Ms Spence said she was looking forward to the challenge, and wanted to focus on the future. “Montpelier High School has a long history in Bristol; however, it is the bright future of this school that I’m focused on,” she said.
“I am determined to lead MHS on a journey of rapid and sustainable improvement that will benefit all students, irrespective of their starting points.
“The school is a pillar of the community it serves and, alongside an engaging and relevant curriculum, we have a responsibility to broaden the horizons of students and support them in increasing their cultural capital. I will ensure that the school provides all the opportunities that education can offer, for every student at every level and, crucially, that the curriculum is enriched with additional activities that address the mental health of all our students,” she added.
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