Lancashire schools are a class act

Data published today shows that the number of good and outstanding grades awarded over the past year to both primary and secondary schools in the county is on the increase.

Up to August 2019 93 per cent of primary and 74 per cent of secondary schools inspected were rated good or outstanding under tough new criteria.

Both have gone up one per cent on the previous year.

The primary figure is higher than both the national and North West averages, which stand at 87 and 90 per cent.

The secondary figures are slightly lower than the national average of 76 per cent but higher than the regional, which is 67 per cent.

In Blackpool the number primary schools graded good or outstanding went up by three per cent to 94 while the secondary sector saw a massive 29 per cent increase to 57 per cent over all, which is still below average but considerably higher than in the past.

The data only relates to inspections over the last academic year and is not seen as reflection of all schools.

Data showed that in the North West, 94 per cent of childminders were good or outstanding. This was broadly in line with the national figure of 95 per cent and for nurseries and pre-schools, 97 per cent were rated good or outstanding. This was equal to the national figure

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“As in previous years, Ofsted reveals a picture of a system that we can be proud of, with 86 per cent of schools rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. Nevertheless, the rising tide of improvement has not lifted all boats, with 2 per cent of schools not having met Ofsted’s criteria to be judged ‘good’ for more than a decade. The pupils in these schools are not benefiting from a generally high performing system.

“To make a difference, we must urgently rebalance holding schools to account with helping them to improve.

However, a spokesman for the NEU added: " Whilst the current, high stakes and repressive school accountability framework remains in place, and drive excessive workload and stress in schools, we will continue to see teachers and school leaders leaving the profession in droves.

“This is no way to improve our schools and colleges.”