The failed schools are: Gordon Junior - Special Measures, June 2009 (removed from S.M. and found Satisfactory November 2010); Oaklands Infants - Notice to Improve, November 2010; New Road School, Chatham - special measures October 2011; St James CofE Primary, Grain - Special Measures, December 2010; St Margaret's CofE Junior, Rainham - Notice to Improve September 2009 (Notice removed November 2010, although after inadequate progress reported February 2010); Skinner Street Junior, Gillingham - Special Measures, Jun 2009 (Removed from Special Measures, January 2011); Spinnens Acre, Chatham - Notice to Improve, September 2009, deteriorating to Special Measures October 2010; Warren Wood Primary, Rochester - Special Measures July 2009 (after inadequate progress in July and September 2010, finally got a satisfactory report in June 2011). It is good that some of these have been rescued, but surely Medway Council monitors standards in its schools, and appropriate action should have been taken to avoid the damage to Medway children before they reached this state.
The pattern for all Medway OFSTEDs since May 2010, compared to national figures is as follows (expressed as percentages):
| Outstanding | Good | Satisfactory | Inadequate | |
| Medway | 0 | 46 | 43 | 11 |
| National | 6 | 46 | 42 | 6 |
Not a single school found Outstanding! Of course, the prime issue is not concern about the schools failing - of far more importance is the fact that nearly a quarter of all Medway primary school children have had their education damaged over this period, certainly the responsibility of the schools, but more importantly of Medway Council who oversee standards, and have the power to act if schools are in danger of failing. Perhaps, however, to paraphrase the Council in another situation, they don't see children in failing schools as being disadvantaged! I certainly know that grammar school appeal panels are often loathe, and grammar school review panels are not allowed to take such factors into consideration.
Perhaps this item should have been added to a Council motion debated on 20th October censuring Medway Council (but lost) about the following education calamities: 1) The 11+ fiasco at the Chatham Grammar School for Boys and the Rainham School for Girls; 2) The botched Primary School reorganisation programme which used incorrect pupil statistics to close local primary schools including the closure of Ridge Meadow and St Peter’s and St John’s threatened; 3) The £350,000 bill to cancel photocopier contracts due to school closures; 4) The £1.8m overspend on the Walderslade School building project; 5) The £1.25m overspend on the Woodlands School building project; 6) The cancellation of the school improvements at Luton School, and the cuts to building schools budget from £5m down to covering maintenance only; 7) Medway is ranked close to the bottom of Level 4 league tables, with only 67% of pupils across the area gaining the level required.