Minister calls for primary shake-up
EDUCATION chiefs in Devon have been told by Schools Secretary Ed Balls to come up with a plan to improve standards in three Mid Devon primaries.
New league tables revealed that the schools were failing to hit the base target of 55 per cent of pupils reaching level 4 in English and maths national curriculum tests.
The schools highlighted in Mid Devon are: Bampton Church of England Primary School (46 per cent), The Castle Primary, Tiverton (53 per cent) and South Molton United Church of England Primary School (46 per cent).
The move is part of a government drive to improve primaries across the country.
The measures announced by the Secretary of State on Friday, do not put forward sanctions, but focus on support for schools.
Mr Balls wants the council to come up with an action plan by the end of March to improve primaries not making the grade.
In total, 1,472 primaries had fewer than 55 per cent of their pupils achieving the required standard in both subjects this year, up from 1,359 schools in 2008.
Mr Balls said: "Every parent wants their child to go to a good school where they can reach their full potential.
"We know that primary education is vital in setting children up for success later in life and I will not stand by while any child goes to a school where results are persistently low.
"It's now down to local authorities to get all schools making progress all of the time and we are putting in place a package of measures which they can use to help them improve their local schools."
Devon's cabinet member for schools and skills, Christine Channon, said: "For a Government elected 12 years ago committed to education, education, education, it has taken Mr Balls a long time to focus on this.
"The county council has been working hard with all its schools to improve performance and a number of those on this list are enjoying rising standards.
"The Government's own SAT tables saw Devon's schools rise from joint 60th to joint 49th out of 151 local authorities.
"We know that headteachers have been weighed down in so many initiatives and directives by this Government on many issues other than academic standards.
"It might be better if Mr Balls concentrated on encouraging hard-working teachers rather than bringing out the big stick."
2 Comments
by mrs d, tiverton
Sunday, December 13 2009, 6:23PM
“Castle Primary school is a fantastic school. Recent OFSTED in 2008 rated it as a Good School with Outstanding features. It has a Gold Singing Award and excellent facilities for all pupils including those with Special Needs and English as an Additional Language. 2009 SATS for Year 6 included many SEN children plus foreign students. It is unfair to publish 53% statistics. The SATS were in fact English 64%, Maths 62% and Science 84%. Pupils value added is 99.8 which means pupils make good progress from Year 2 to Year 6. It is unfair to publish this article without a comment from the school itself. Come and see our Year 6 production of Cinderella this week and tell us we are not a great school !”
by mrs p croker, bampton, devon
Friday, December 11 2009, 5:04PM
“I have two children attending Bampton Primary School, it was a complete dissappointment to learn of the recent failings featured in your paper last week.......
The school seems to have serious issues that need addressing at the moment. I personally have made a complaint to the LEA concerning the way pupils are treated, exclusions in a small school were three just in the last week... including one of my own, these children have the right to a decent education and to have all the help offered to them by professionals in whatever capacity is needed.”