The recent Ofsted report ‘How a sample of primary schools in Stoke-on-Trent teach pupils to read’ makes shocking reading. It is a small sample of only twelve primary schools (out of 77) in Stoke-on-Trent and yet the report declares that in seven out of that twelve, ‘reading was not taught well enough’ and that six… Continue reading The tip of the iceberg
I have twice now visited schools which have had Ofsted inspections. Both praised the schools’approach to teaching children to read and spell. Here is an extract from the latest: “Good progress in reading continues across the school, the result of the consistent approach in teaching daily phonics sessions, and older pupils demonstrate increasingly accurate spelling… Continue reading What is wrong with the culture within Ofsted?
In large part this new report has been motivated by the need to respond to a growing tide of complaints from employers’ organisations and from higher education institutions about the standards of literacy of school leavers. There is also a growing awareness that, in the globalised world in which this country operates, other countries have… Continue reading That Ofsted report – ‘Moving English forward’
I’ve long been thinking that radical and fundamental change in education will only happen in the UK when our economy is so seriously threatened by the likes of China, India, Singapore, South Korea, and the like, that the ‘powers that be’ would be forced to take corrective action. Indeed, five years ago Digby Jones, then head of… Continue reading Will Michael Wilshaw? He sure will!
So Ofsted’s chief inspector for schools Christine Gilbert has suddenly come to the conclusion that failure to teach children to read and spell is not to do with poverty or ethnic background. It’s because they are not being taught properly!The Sunday Times today (14.11.10) has reported Ms Gilbert as saying that progress in ‘improving literacy… Continue reading Illiteracy: another admission of failure
Has Ofsted recovered its nerve? Apparently so. In its recent report ‘The special educational needs and disability review: a statement is not enough’, Ofsted reveals that, while the number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs ‘decreased slightly’ (from 3% to 2.7%), ‘the proportion identified as needing less intensive additional support at School… Continue reading SEN, or just poor teaching?