Senior politician defends schools after damning report (From Enfield Independent)

Senior politician Councillor Ayfer Orhan defends Enfield's primary schools after damning Ofsted report

12:50pm Friday 30th November 2012 in News By Hermione Wright

A senior politician has defended the borough’s schools after a damning report by schools watchdog Ofsted.

According to the annual report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills released on Tuesday, only 61 per cent of children in the borough are attending primary schools rated good or outstanding by inspectors – the fourth lowest figure in London.  

However, cabinet member for children and young people, Councillor Ayfer Orhan, remains positive about Enfield’s schools and is confident further progress will be made this academic year.

The Labour politician said: “This data is based on the outcomes of Ofsted inspections up to August 2012.

“Of the 24 Enfield primary schools judged to be satisfactory in August, two have already been inspected this term and been judged to be good.

“Moreover we confidently expect ten more to be judged good when next inspected, which is likely to be in this academic year.”

According to the report, Enfield only beats the worst performing London boroughs of Haringey by three per cent and Waltham Forest and Hackney by five per cent.

The figures expose a vast difference with the nearby borough of Camden - which is at the top of the table with 92 per cent of its pupils attending good or outstanding schools - and the neighbouring borough Barnet, which scored 91 per cent.

Conservative Councillor Henry Lamprecht, told the Enfield Independent yesterday that the report makes for “terribly sad reading” and blamed the council for “failing” Enfield’s next generation.

However, Cllr Orhan remains positive about the borough’s schools, and said: "Enfield has a significant number of good and outstanding schools in the primary, secondary and special sectors.

"In the secondary sector, 87 per cent of Enfield schools are judged to be good or outstanding, educating 89 per cent of learners, which places Enfield in the top quintile nationally.”

She also stressed that all six of the borough’s special schools are rated good or outstanding by Ofsted.

Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, announced in January that he plans to scrap the satisfactory judgement for school inspections.

The proposals, if passed, will mean that any school that does not provide a good standard of education will be given a new 'requires improvement' grade.