Hounslow primary school survey shows some success and more room for improvement
March 2, 2010 12:00 AM
Cllr Dakers has released results of a survey of Hounslow schools
Cllr Andrew Dakers says that Hounslow Liberal Democrats fourth primary school survey in the borough shows solid success and also where changes need to be made. The survey probed a range of issues from staffing and attendance through to school meals and school councils. The survey also revealed that there are a number of serious problems that need to be addressed by local and national political leaders.
Key conclusions were:
• Thirteen of the schools felt that both their individual performance and that of the national school system had improved over the last year.
• Schools said that the education system is suffering from too much Government control and that more flexible policies are needed to respond to local needs.
• All the head teachers thought that primary children are over-tested. Eleven out of fourteen thought that compulsory testing in primary schools should be scrapped.
• According to the Lib Dem survey most of the schools responding felt that not enough was being done to help the most disadvantaged pupils. Most felt that the current funding arrangements are unfair.
• Most of the head teachers also felt that too many children with a high level of special needs were being placed in mainstream schools where their needs could not be properly attended.
• Half the head teachers questioned rated the statementing of pupils by the Hounslow Education Serves as "average" while the other half thought that it was "poor".
• A majority were opposed to the cuts in the Hounslow Language Service.
• Much concern was expressed about parents taking their children out of school for trips abroad during term time.
Cllr Andrew Dakers, Prospective Lib Dem MP for Brentford & Isleworth, said:
"We are very grateful to the head teachers who took time out of a busy schedule to let us have their views.
"Success should be celebrated. There has been too much excessively negative reporting of education issues. The issues are complicated. To deal with them you have to engage with the people who are working very hard to produce a good education for our children.
"These results are very striking. Of course each head teacher will always want more for his/her school but the responses indicate some real problems with the way educational services are delivered.
"Thus, for example, we propose that a higher funding 'The Pupil Premium' should be attached to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and most of the head teachers agreed with this.
"Similarly, the majority supported our proposal for a language teaching grants fund to offset the withdrawal of funding from the Language Unit.
"When all the head teachers say that the present testing regime is excessive then we should listen to them.
"Lib Dem policies are aimed at listening to what the professionals are telling us rather than constantly issuing new directives. We also want to ensure it is possible for local initiatives to be developed to answer local problems."
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