Norfolk: Extra Inspections For Schools

12 March 2013, 11:49 | Updated: 12 March 2013, 12:10

Teams of Ofsted inspectors have today begun a week of co-ordinated inspections in Norfolk to find out why the county has a disproportionate number of under-performing schools – and whether the picture is improving.

The exercise underway in Norfolk is part of a wave of focused school inspections taking place during the current term in local authority areas where the proportion of children attending a good or outstanding school is currently well below the national average.

The most recent published data shows that only 54% of secondary school children in Norfolk attend a good or better school. For primary school children, the figure is 63%.

 This week’s exercise is part of a concerted programme of action by Ofsted to establish why children in some parts of the country have a much lower chance of attending a good or better school than their peers in other similar areas. It follows the publication of Ofsted’s Annual Report at the end of November, which found marked and unacceptable variations in school performance between local authority areas with similar demographics and levels of deprivation.

 Sean Harford, Ofsted Regional Director for the East of England, said:

 “Every parent wants their child to go to a good or better school. However, in Norfolk a little over half of secondary school age children and only 63% of primary school children currently do so.

“It cannot be right that local authority areas with similar demographics - such as the size of the population and the levels of deprivation - have such varying levels of provision in schools.

 “That is why we are carrying out focused school inspections across under-performing areas, where we will be looking not just at the performance of the individual schools but also the support they are receiving from their local authority. We will be seeking to determine whether councils are really fulfilling their statutory duties to promote high standards and fair access to educational opportunity.”

The school inspections taking place over the next five days were scheduled to take place this academic year but are being brought forward.

 At the same time, Ofsted will conduct a separate telephone survey of a number of Norfolk’s schools, which are not being inspected.

Ofsted say together this will give a powerful snapshot of not only how well schools are doing in Norfolk since the Annual Report data was collected, but also a strong indication of the quality of external support and direction given to the schools by the local authority.

Evidence gathered from this exercise will be drawn together by inspectors for HM Chief Inspector and the East of England Regional Director.

The findings and any recommendations will then be shared with the local authority as well as schools, parents and the wider local public.