"Only one in 10 (of the 'failing' schools) was regarded by Ofsted as needing intervention"

[OrmIrian]

Well exactly!

I particularly liked this quote:

"It seems to me that the government has decided to junk its recent attempts to introduce a measure of sophistication into evaluating schools in favour of a crude headline-grabbing measure to try to show that it is tough on standards,"

No-one else interested?

Oh well....

Sorry, I wonder if the lack of responders might be because we're not sure where you're coming from? What I mean is, in quoting that quote you liked, do you mean "Another stupid stunt by the government- instead of being a bit more sophisticated in measuring schools, once again it's resorted to headline grabbing, using crude and simplistic methods"- OR do you mean "Typical teachers, trying to justify 'failing' schools by claiming the yard stick isn't fair"?

Personally, I see a desperate government trying to be seen as 'being tough' and 'standing no nonsense'- and in doing so, failing to check to see whether the OFSTED Inspectorate agrees first before slapping schools on the 'failing' list. Poor homework.

I see. I don't really mind. I just wanted opinions. As it happens I agree with you teslagirl.

I posted it in IntheNews and did get some reponse. But thanks for taking pity one me

I do think this is a very odd thing to have done. When you hear the Ministers talking about it on the radio it sounds quite sensible - schools should have help to get them to an acceptable GCSE threshold. But anyone with the brains of a peanut would realize how a list like this would look. And how dispiriting to be involved with a school that is on the list.

Especially if you live somewhere like Kent, where the 23% academically most able children are creamed off into grammar schools.

Agree with Teslagirl. Smacks of desperation.

I too would like to criticise Ofsted.

May be I am missing something but there are special schools that are graded 1 for everything except achievement for which they get 4. Are these people so thick that they can't see that achievement for some children comes in other ways than purely examination success. These are schools for children with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties.

The "shutting failing schools" agenda is a purely political one - they want to introduce academies. I am totally sick of politics being played out in the arena of the education of our children. It has been going on all of my life and I fail to see how it has improved anything.