WIREDGOV

Cllr Judith Blake, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, responded to a report by the National Association of Head Teachers on school leadership and recommendations for school improvement

“The importance of schools and their hardworking staff, who are their most valuable asset in securing improved outcomes for children, has been heightened during the pandemic. We need to do all we can to support the retention of good school leaders and teachers, which requires every school to have the necessary funds to invest and prioritise high quality staff development. 

“Councils have an excellent record in school improvement with 90 per cent of council-maintained schools rated good or outstanding.

“Schools and councils have reinforced their strong relationships during the pandemic, which can serve as a solid platform to promote long-term school improvement.

“It remains vital for councils to be able to open new maintained schools where that is the local preference and to intervene and improve all types of school found to be inadequate – regardless of whether it is a maintained school or academy.”

Notes to editors

LGA report on Enabling School Improvement (PDF)

Government should be concerned about a 'post-covid exodus' of school leaders, says NAHT