Ofsted Annual Report
Posted on Site: Wednesday November 19 2008
Posted on Site: Wednesday November 19 2008
Commenting on the findings of the Chief Inspector, Christine Blower, Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Europe’s largest teaching union said;
“The fact that the percentage of good and outstanding schools is up is obviously good news and a tribute to teachers and school leaders.
“However, the fact that the Chief Inspector chooses to link ‘poor quality provision’ and ‘deprivation’ is quite frankly not good enough. Children from deprived backgrounds are three times more likely to underachieve than their peers from well off backgrounds*. This is a fact, not an excuse.
“It is vital, therefore, that this gap narrows, but it can’t be achieved by lambasting schools in the toughest areas. That simply creates demoralisation and discourages committed staff.
“I would have wanted the Chief Inspector to point out the kind of support that schools need in the toughest areas, including the measures needed to encourage staff to work in those schools alongside the necessary additional resources.”
