A press release by the Isle of Wight Labour Party reveals the interim Ofsted boss may be visiting the Isle of Wight this week. OnTheWight have sought confirmation from Ofsted. Ed
Island Labour is this week calling on the IW Council to seek Ofsted backing for the idea of a taskforce to be established to investigate why education standards on the Island remain low.
Labour has repeatedly called for the creation of a taskforce – featuring education experts, teachers, governors and parents – to carry out a detailed study as to why education attainments lags behind the mainland in many areas.
Interim head of Ofsted visit
Labour wants IW Council leader Jonathan Bacon to ask the interim head of Ofsted James Kempton, who is understood to be visiting the Island this week, for his views on establishing such a taskforce.
Local Party vice chairman Stewart Blackmore, said:
“My view is that the Council needs to put at least the same emphasis on raising educational attainment on the Island as it does on public transport – a subject over which it has no real influence and not even a statutory duty.
“Education should be a much higher priority for this current administration and a positive first step would be to establish a taskforce to take a fundamental look at the reasons why too many of our children are being held back.
“Obviously Mr Kempton and Ofsted will not have all the answers but I would hope Cllr Bacon would seek to enlist Ofsted’s support for our proposal. We have written to Mr Kempton to outline our view in advance of this Thursday’s meeting.”
Teachers working hard to improve standards
Deb Gardiner, Chair of the Island Labour Party, said,
“I am pleased that the Chair of Ofsted is coming as we had asked and I hope he will look at the real issues and join the Chief Inspector of Schools in dismissing the Conservative proposals for going back to selection as irrelevant.
“Teachers on the Island have been working hard to improve standards and raise the aspirations of all pupils and a selective system will inevitably undermine this by sending a message to the majority of pupils who do not get selected that they are not good enough.
“The Isle of Wight Labour Party will be asking our delegate to the September Conference to argue for a new deal for education in seaside towns and rural areas. Schools in London were turned round by the last Labour Government by means of investment, collaboration between schools and support to teachers, not by grammar schools, and we need that here. In Kent, which has grammar schools, they only take only 3% of poorer pupils.”
