Parliamentary debate: Reading LEA and school inspections

From They Work For You: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2014-01-29a.287.0&s=academies#g294.1


Rob Wilson MP:
'Earlier this year, the Minister wrote to Reading LEA, challenging it over the gap that has developed between rich and poor children’s performances, despite the huge Government investment through the pupil premium.



'Although six of the eight secondary schools in Reading’s catchment area are now academies, only five out of the 31 primary schools are. Poor performance in primary schools means poor performance in the schools that Reading borough council runs.

'The LEA’s poor performance and attitude have forced me into a much more active role regarding local schools than I ever envisaged... The local authority has termed that interference...

'That changed in 2010, when academies and university technical colleges got rocket boosters, free schools were introduced... That gave me the tools to start bypassing an LEA that was at best coasting and at worst failing.'

David Laws:

'Reading is presently ranked 111th out of 150 local authorities in Ofsted’s latest table for percentage of pupils attending a good or outstanding secondary school, and 116th out of 150 local authorities for percentage of pupils attending a good or outstanding primary school. The 2013 results for pupils at the end of primary school, in key stage 2, show that Reading has dropped significantly below the national average of 75%. Reading now stands at 69%, a drop from 73% last year.

'In cases such as Reading, local authorities should focus their main school intervention activity on the schools that they are responsible for. Good LAs should work constructively with all local schools, but academies are ultimately accountable to the Secretary of State for Education, and local authorities should raise any concerns that they have about academy performance directly with both Ofsted and the Department for Education.