This in from Andrew Turner’s office, in his own words. Ed
MP Andrew Turner has invited two County Councillors to accompany him to a meeting with the Education Minister, Lord Nash tomorrow. The meeting has been arranged for some time to explore ways in which the Island’s MP could help the Department for Education support Island schools in need of additional help after going into special measures..
Mr Turner said today:
“In my view the most important issue facing the Council is supporting the Island’s schools to improve. At the moment it is unclear what will happen on the Council, and who will be responsible for each policy area. However, I am sure councillors will want to work together on this, so with Lord Nash’s agreement I have invited representatives from the Independent and the Conservative Groups to join us at the meeting. I am pleased they have both accepted.
“There are many challenges facing our education system. We have three secondary schools judged as failing by OFSTED, another has been issued with a notice to improve and we are awaiting the outcome of another inspection. Christ the King College is doing well but that means only a minority of Island children are receiving the high quality education they have a right to expect.”
Turner: “Unhealthy obsession with new school buildings”
Mr Turner went on to say,
In my view there has been too much energy expended on changing the structure of the school system and an unhealthy obsession with new school buildings instead of a steely focus on what is going on in the classroom – which is what was desperately needed. Some of our schools are far too big and we need to find ways of dealing with that. On the bright side we potentially have two new secondary schools, a Studio school in East Cowes and a new Island Free School; there are also some pockets of very good practice, even in some of our very small primary schools. There now needs to be a determination to get the basics right and I want to work constructively with the Council to do that.
“The recently departed Chief Executive, Steve Beynon was responsible for our education system since he arrived on the Island in 2007 and took charge of the re-organisation. He has a great deal to answer for.”
Image: © IslandMP
