COLUMN: We're focussed on education

I feel I must respond to Sir Michael Wilshaw, Ofsted's Chief Inspector, and his misleading comments naming the East Midlands as the worst performing region in the country on a range of key education indicators.
Coun Patricia Bradwell. EMN-160507-135552001Coun Patricia Bradwell. EMN-160507-135552001
Coun Patricia Bradwell. EMN-160507-135552001

I want to assure people that this in no way reflects the state of Lincolnshire schools – we have some of the best in the country.

In his news release, he mentions Carlton Road Academy in Boston as an outstanding primary and this is just one of many examples in Lincolnshire.

In terms of quality, 85 per cent of our schools are rated as good or outstanding by Ofsted, including many in the primary sector.

While the vast majority of our schools have been judged by Ofsted as good or outstanding, a minority are struggling. To say that this is due to a culture of complacency is an unhelpful and simplistic generalisation.

As a county council, we passionately believe that all children deserve a good education to enable them to achieve their aspirations.

No-one is complacent and we are acutely aware of the need to do more to drive improvement so that children excel and we are working hard to develop capacity to support schools.

We also welcome proposals for fairer funding for schools. Lincolnshire, like many local authorities in the East Midlands, is among the worse funded in the country and we hope that a fairer distribution of funding will mean that our children and young people can achieve as well as their better funded peers in the future.

We will continue to concentrate on the quality of education and a school’s ability to deliver the best results for children.

Patricia Bradwell is deputy leader at Lincolnshire County Council