Comparison of OFSTED Reports for Kent, Medway & Maidstone Primary Schools
since September 2012
|
|||||||
Total
Inspected
|
Outstanding | Good |
Requires
Improvement
|
Inadequate
|
Up | Down | |
Kent
|
87
|
4%
|
55%
|
34%
|
7%
|
42
|
9
|
Medway
|
22
|
8%
|
40%
|
32%
|
20%
|
5
|
5
|
Maidstone
|
9
|
0%
|
0%
|
89%
|
11%
|
0
|
2
|
Kent without
Maidstone
|
78
|
4%
|
62%
|
28%
|
6%
|
42
|
7
|
With some 20% of all primary schools having been inspected over this period the results are a good indication of the level of improvement, but a better one is the number of schools that have improved their individual grading since the last inspection. Here the massive improvement in performance by Kent primary schools can be seen clearly, with almost half of the 87 schools inspected having improved their OFSTED rating, two of which, Sandown Primary School in Deal and Temple Ewell Primary School in Dover, improved by two grades from 'Inadequate' to 'Good'. Just three are Outstanding: Chevening St Botolph's CofE VA Primary School; Cobham Primary School;and Sheldwich Primary School. Compare these much improved figures with previous ones I have quoted, reproduced below. One of KCC's recent policy documents: 'Delivering Bold Steps for Kent' sets a high target for the improvement in school OFSTED results. Kent is not there yet, but is clearly on the way.
Unfortunately, Maidstone continues to spoil the picture for Kent, not one of the nine schools having been inspected this school year attracting a 'Good' OFSTED. Back in 2011 I wrote: "One has to ask why Maidstone children in particular are subjected to the worst standard of primary education in the county - this is hardly the most socially deprived town in Kent?! Indeed the problem in Maidstone is not just the number of failing schools but the paucity of Good or Outstanding schools";. Sadly there has been no improvement whatever over the past eighteen months and this view still stands. You can find the full list of Maidstone primary school outcomes for the past three years here. A new Senior Primary School Adviser has been appointed by KCC this week, and it is clear where one of his priorities needs to be.
In Medway, a first glance suggests an improvement there, but this appears to be because the schools inspected were already some of the better schools. However, a fifth of OFSTED inspections fail the schools involved, almost the same as over the past three years. Further, in clear contrast with Kent, there is no improvement whatever in the overall standards of these schools, with just 5 improving their grade and 5 slipping back. One long awaited achievement is that Medway has secured its first 'Outstanding' OFSTEDs in three years, two schools: St Nicholas CofE Infants, Strood; and St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Chatham. To balance that, astonishingly the Medway primary school with surely the best socio-economic catchment, St Mary's Island CofE VA Primary School is one of the schools placed in Special Measures. Almost inconceivable and a disgrace for all involved. Not surprisingly, Medway Council is abdicating responsibility by actively pressuring those schools it has failed to become academies. Sherwin Knight Junior School is a frightening examplar. It was failed by OFSTED in November 2012, who found it had serious weaknesses. This ought to have been the signal for Medway Council to pour in appropriate resources to improve standards. However, when OFSTED came back in February 2013 to carry out a Monitoring Inspection, their conclusion was: "The school’s improvement plan is not fit for purpose.The local authority’s statement of action is not fit for purpose";. In other words, Medway Council has failed its children once again. In a Medway Messenger Report on a Medway Council Meeting in January, which has to be read to be believed, the Education Portfolio holder, Councillor Les Wicks refused to accept any responsibility for these failures on behalf of the Authority, claiming they were solely down to headteachers and governors. One wonders how he can explain away the OFSTED finding: "The local authority’s statement of action is not fit for purpose". Medway Council's motto is "Serving You". Sadly, having seen 25% of all Medway primary schools failing an OFSTED over the past three years, they are clearly not serving Medway's children, have not been serving them for years, and appear to be determined to go on failing to serve them, apparently being happy to blight so many young lives of the children for whom they are responsible.
Comparison of OFSTED Reports for Kent & Medway Primary Schools,
March 2010- July 2012, against national figures by percentage
|
||||
Outstanding |
Good |
Satisfactory |
Inadequate |
|
Kent | 6 | 35 | 45 | 13 |
Medway | 0 | 34 | 44 | 22 |
Maidstone | 5 | 21 | 59 | 16 |
National |
14 |
49 |
32 |
6 |