A senior Ofsted official has defended a report that rates a school as “good”, despite finding that it had off-rolled pupils for its own benefit.

The inspectorate has been criticised on social media for its report on Discovery Academy in Stoke, which was found to be off-rolling pupils in Year 11.

Ofsted gave the school a “good” rating but rated the school’s leadership and management as “requiring improvement”.

This is despite the inspectorate promising to tackle off-rolling through its new inspection regime.

Critics have questioned how people can “have faith” in Ofsted following its report on the school.

Responding to criticism on Twitter, Sean Harford, Ofsted’s national director of education said: “Leadership and Management identified as the issue that needs to do better. The quality of education, including the work of teachers, is good. Won’t be saying anything more as the report speaks for itself.”

The report said that Discovery Academy had stopped off-rolling during the inspection but had previously planned to off-roll more pupils this year.

In a letter to parents, the school’s principal Simon French said that off-rolling had been a citywide protocol that most secondary schools in Stoke-on-Trent had followed.

However, the letter said this was no longer the case following the Ofsted inspection.

Sarah Robinson, the chief executive of Alpha Academies Trust, which runs the school, said the timing of when pupils were removed from the school roll was based on a city wide agreement which aimed to give pupils the best chance to be able to return to mainstream education.

She told Tes this was not an attempt to remove pupils who were about to fail but Ofsted had decided that it met the inspectorate’s definition of off-rolling.

Ofsted has promised to tackle off-rolling through its new inspection framework and has identified 300 schools with high pupil movement where the practice could be taking place.

As Tes revealed last month, two schools where off-rolling have been identified as taking place have been placed into special measures: Harrop Fold from the Educating Greater Manchester TV series and Shenley Academy in Birmingham.

The report into Discovery Academy said that 10 pupils in Year 11, who were on the school’s roll but attending good-quality alternative provision, were transferred to the alternative provider’s roll in January 2018.

It says: “This means that these pupils are not represented in any published information about Discovery Academy, for example data about pupils’ progress or their destinations after leaving school.

“Consequently, published information about Discovery Academy for 2018 does not take account of all the pupils who were on roll for all or most of Years 10 and 11.”

It adds: “Inspectors concluded that it provided no benefit for the pupils and was carried out in the best interests of the school rather than the pupils. This constitutes ‘off-rolling’ according to Ofsted’s definition.

This has led to questions about how Ofsted can produce a positive inspection report about a school which is carrying out off-rolling.

Headteacher Simon Smith posted on Twitter asking: “How is this in any definition good?”

Teacher Tom Starkey wrote: “How can anyone working in a school have faith in an inspectorate after a decision like this? They’ve just called open season on off-rolling. Only it won’t be because I pretty much guarantee only some will be able to get away with it in the same way.”

In a letter home to parents, the school’s principal said that off-rolling had been a citywide protocol.

Mr French said: “Although we were rated as good inspectors felt our leadership and management does require improvement. This was down to a city wide protocol that most secondary schools in Stoke-on-Trent follow know as off-rolling which Ofsted disagree with.

“The academy has accepted this view and following guidance from Ofsted we have worked with the local authority and other schools to advise them of this position.”

He added that he believed that almost all schools had now stopped this practice.   

Ms Robinson said: “This is not about the school looking to move on pupils who were about to fail. In, I think in all of these cases the pupils had been in alternative provision for the majority of their secondary education.

“We have not looked to hide or manipulate data. Removing these pupils from the roll has made a negligible difference to the school’s results.

“The timing of them being removed from school rolls is because of a city wide agreement which all schools in Stoke-on-Trent were signed up to and this was because the council wanted to leave it for as long as  possible to give  pupils the chance to be able to move back to mainstream schools where possible.

“Where this is not possible pupils then move at the end of the year 10, beginning of Year 11 but the timing of this is based on a citywide agreement. 

“Ofsted has said that this meets their definition of off-rolling.  If you look at the report you will see an inclusive school that looks to do the best for all of its pupils.”