21 October 2005
Chief inspector of schools David Bell has backed plans for greater autonomy for head teachers, which are widely expected to be included in the education white paper due to be published next week.
This is likely to set out measures to sweep away most of local authorities' powers over education, clearing the way for successful heads to expand schools and for businesses and faith groups to become more involved in their local education market.
Bell said releasing head teachers from central control had helped drive forward change and he dismissed concerns that this would mean vulnerable children would continue to be badly served by the system.
'The old-style, centrally planned local education authority approach hasn't done a great job in the past,' he said. 'The majority of teachers and head teachers want to do a really good job for the vulnerable children in their care. We can have, side by side, greater independence for state schools and greater co-ordination of services.'
Bell was speaking at the launch of Ofsted's annual report on October 19, which presented a largely positive picture of the state of education. Fewer schools were in special measures at the end of the 2004/05 academic year compared with 2003/04.
But there was concern at the number of schools perceived to be coasting. 'There are schools that, while not in a state of crisis, are providing nothing better than mediocrity. While on the surface all might appear to be well in these schools, if we dig deeper we find that achievement could be better in some subjects or for some groups of pupils,' Bell said.
Teachers' leaders urged the chief inspector to choose his words with greater care. Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: 'Mediocrity is a word which is as damning as failure. It is a small jump for those hostile to maintained schools to ascribe failure to the whole system.'
But the Department for Education and Skills said it backed Ofsted '100% on this'. 'We are making tackling coasting schools a priority,' a DfES spokesman said.
'We have also given Ofsted the power to serve “improvement notices” for schools that are inadequate but not yet failing. If schools served these notices don't improve in a year, then they will be put into special measures with a prospect of closure if they don't improve within another year.'
PFoct2005
