A Big 'Well Done' to Our Local Schools
In my latest monthly column for the Times and Citizen newspaper, I took the opportunity to say a big 'well done' to our local schools for the truly remarkable run of Ofsted school inspection outcomes they have achieved in this academic year.
With the inspection regime of the schools watchdog Ofsted acknowledged to have only got tougher in recent times, the fact that nine of eleven schools inspected so far this year really is something worth shouting about! As the article explained, too, this is by no means a blip, with Ofsted's latest annual report confirming that a child is more likely to attend a good or outstanding primary-level school here than they are anywhere else right across the eastern region.
It also placed Bedford Borough as number eleven out of the 150 local education authorities in the country in its first 'league table' of local authority areas for education, and that's down to the hard work of the staff, children and everyone involved in our local school communities.
If you haven't seen the article in the latest edition of the Times and Citizen, here's a copy of the full text:
I come from a family of teachers, with a mother and father who both taught in Bedford for a number of years. This, together with my years as a governing body Chair, has given me some appreciation of the huge, all-embracing task facing schools to raise standards and help all children reach their potential. That's why I want to highlight the latest inspections by the schools watchdog Ofsted which, at the time of writing, has graded nine of the eleven local schools inspected this academic year as good or outstanding. Six of those nine improved on their previous grading. This represents a fantastic achievement by everyone involved at those schools a time of an increasingly stringent inspection regime.
This exceptional run of inspection outcomes is by no means a blip. Before Christmas, Ofsted published what was billed as its first 'league table' of local authority areas. This saw Bedford Borough placed 11th out of 150 authority areas nationwide, and number one in the Eastern region, with children here more likely to attend a good or outstanding lower/primary school than they are anywhere else right across the region. This success extends across the age ranges, with 85% of all state schools in the Borough currently rated good or outstanding. While we must not be complacent and should aim for 100%, we should also be prepared to promote these high standards to families considering Bedford Borough as a place to raise children in, and to potential new businesses.
In an increasingly competitive higher education system and employment market, it is crucial that children and young people are given every opportunity to fulfil their potential, not to mention the simple fact that they deserve nothing less. The improvements recognised by Ofsted across local schools will not transform overall exam results overnight, for example, but they will translate into rising attainment and give our young people the best chances to succeed. For that, while reminding ourselves that we should always be working together to drive up standards across all schools, we should take a moment to turn to all those who play any part in our local schools and simply say "well done".