Local government has failed to rise to the challenge of school improvement, according to Ofsted. ...
Local government has failed to rise to the challenge of school improvement, according to Ofsted.
It calls for 'managed evolution' of councils' relationship with schools. David Singleton, head of Ofsted's LEA division, said that when Ofsted's inspection of Calderdale MBC was published in 1998 press reports suggested 'the performance of LEAs damaged the reputation of local government of a whole'.
An Ofsted consultation paper, Local education authority support for school improvement, says there is little evidence education departments make an impact on school improvement or social exclusion.
It says there is growing polarisation between the best and the worst run departments, and criticises the varying levels of school support from place to place.
The paper claims the best councils are those without nostalgia for the old controlling role of the local education authority and those which embrace delegation, consult well and have a clear, 'minimal' definition of their role.
He added: 'I think it did. That seems to me to demand a collective effort of improvement. Of that there is too little sign by far.'
Mr Singleton said the only councils where a clear causal link existed between their actions and school improvement were Kensington & Chelsea LBC and the Corporation of London.
But he insisted a simpler definition of LEA roles and careful targeting of resources could help stretched councils achieve more.
Mr Singleton classified the types of failure:
Unitaries that have made an uncertain start, perhaps through inheriting a bad situation
Established councils with obvious weaknesses but lack the managerial capability to improve
Capable councils not pulling their weight due to lack of vision or co-ordination at the centre
The 'most difficult': councils where flawed political leadership over many years prevents even capable managers delivering improvement.
Well run with high performing schools
Cornwall CC
North Somerset
Kingston upon Thames LBC
Bury MBC
Surrey CC
Rutland CC
Warwickshire CC
Well run with low performing schools
Barking & Dagenham LBC
Birmingham City
Newham LBC
Sunderland City
Knowsley MBC
Kingston upon Hull City
Kirklees MC
Newcastle City
Stoke on Trent City
Significant weaknesses and average or high performing schools
Bedfordshire CC
Calderdale MBC
Kent CC
Buckinghamshire CC
Weaknesses and low performing schools
Hackney LBC
Manchester City
Sandwell MBC
Tower Hamlets LBC
Southwark LBC
Barnsley MBC
Islington LBC
Liverpool City
Haringey LBC
Leicester City
Councils making effective contributions to improvement in one or more aspect in all or nearly all their schools
Kingston upon Hull City
Nottinghamshire CC
Stoke on Trent City
Bury MBC
Warwickshire CC
Brent LBC
Newham LBC
Evidence of effectiveness in only half or fewer of the schools visited
Liverpool City
Buckinghamshire CC
Barnsley MBC
Islington LBC
Southwark LBC
Hackney LBC
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