MP blames Southampton council chiefs and calls for urgent action

4:10pm Thursday 17th December 2009

By Matt Smith

SOUTHAMPTON secondary schools are among the worst performing in the country, it can be revealed today.

Statistics to be published next month will show GCSE results are among the worst in the country – just like the city’s primary schools.

LAST YEAR'S FIGURES

They are expected to confirm the proportion of pupils getting five good GCSEs in Southampton is the third lowest of all education authorities in England. Only Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight are worse.

Today communities secretary and city MP John Denham has called for urgent action and an end to “complacency” and “excuse-making” by council chiefs in charge of schooling.

He warned the city’s secondary schools were following a “similar trend” to the relative decline of primary schools.

Last month Southampton was named as the third worst performing authority for the number of 11-year-olds reaching expected standards in English, maths and science.

It prompted schools secretary Ed Balls to order Southampton City Council to produce an action plan showing what will be done to improve primary and junior schools.

Research carried out for Mr Denham by the House of Commons Library showed Southampton had now slipped to third from bottom in national rankings for pupils achieving five A* to C GCSE grades in 2008/9, according to the provisional results.

Only 59.7 per cent of students achieved that benchmark, compared to a national average of 69.7 per cent. In Hampshire schools achieved a 69.9 per cent pass rate.

Mr Denham said other councils had made "so much more effective use" of additional Government funding.

“There are many hard working and dedicated teachers and head teachers in the city, but they need the leadership and support that can only come from a city council with an unrelenting focus on raising standards.”

Southampton secretary and national executive member of the NASUWT teachers’ union Ron Clooney blamed the “political turbulence” at the council in recent years and its “appalling” allocation of money and resources.

Councillor Paul Holmes, the city council’s Cabinet member for children’s services, said Mr Denham’s remarks were “an insult to the tireless work by staff and governors”.

He said using the “correct measure” of five good GCSEs including English and mathematics, in recent years Southampton had nearly doubled the progress made nationally.

Cllr Holmes added school inspection watchdog Ofsted had judged the majority of the city’s secondary schools as “good” or better, and nearly one third were “outstanding”, more than double the figure for the country as a whole.