Ofsted reports back to Staffordshire Council following focused inspections
2 Jun 2014 12:48 PM
Following the recent
inspections of 18 primary schools in Staffordshire in March 2014, Ofsted has
written to Staffordshire County Council to advise it of the
findings.
The focused inspections are part
of a concerted programme of action by Ofsted to establish why children in some
parts of the country have a much lower chance of attending a good or better
school than their peers in other similar areas.
In Staffordshire, Ofsted’s
main concern centres on the progress made by pupils at primary school whereby a
large number of schools do not yet provide their pupils with a good education.
Of the 18 primary schools that were inspected:
- two were judged
outstanding
- seven judged
good
- six judged requires
improvement
- three judged special measures
– these schools had declined from a previous
good judgement.
During the inspections, Ofsted
also gathered information on the use, quality and impact of Staffordshire
Council’s support for school improvement by asking additional key
questions of headteachers and governors.
The letter sent to
the local authority has been published on the Ofsted
website.
Notes to
editors
1. The letter to Staffordshire
Council can be found on Ofsted’s website.
2. The schools inspected were:
Kingsfield First School; Hob Hill CE/Methodist (VC) Primary School; All Saints
CofE (A) First School; Leek First School; Springcroft Primary School; Silkmore
Community Primary School; St Saviour's CofE (VC) Primary School; St
Paul's CofE (C) Primary School; St Patrick's Catholic Primary School;
Bhylls Acre Primary School; Hayes Meadow Primary School; Castlechurch Primary
School; St Chad's CofE (C) Primary School; Our Lady and St Werburgh's
Catholic Primary School; Mary Howard CofE (VC) Primary School; Amington Heath
Primary School and Nursery; St Margaret's CofE (C) Junior School; and
Thomas Barnes Primary School.
3. On 17 January 2013, Ofsted
announced the first wave of focused school inspections across local authority
areas, where children are being denied the standard of education they deserve.
The press release is available on the Ofsted website.
4. Local
authority areas were selected for the focused school inspection programme
on the basis of the relative proportion of children attending good or better
primary schools, as set out in the last Ofsted Annual Report, and Ofsted data
on the proportion of children attending good or better secondary schools, as
well as any relevant inspection evidence gathered during the autumn 2012 term.
These are standard section 5 inspections, which were scheduled to take place
this academic year and include all types of schools – although the
majority will be primary schools.
5. Ofsted’s Annual Report
is available on the website
atwww.ofsted.gov.uk/about-us/annual-report.
6. The Office for Standards in
Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects
to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in
education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects
childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and
Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial
teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and
community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure
establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects
services for looked after children, safeguarding and child
protection.
7. Media can contact the Ofsted
Press Office through 03000 130415 or via Ofsted’s enquiry line 0300
1231231 between 8.30am – 6.00pm, Monday – Friday. Out of these
hours, during evenings and weekends, the duty press officer can be reached on
07919 057359.