A DAMNING report by education inspectors has slammed Borough of Poole for failing thousands of pupils.

The document, written after a team of four Ofsted inspectors visited the borough for a week earlier this summer, highlights a catalogue of areas where improvements are urgently required.

The scathing report says Borough of Poole must: 

  • Tackle the underachievement of disadvantaged pupils without delay.
  • Monitor the attainment of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs effectively.
  • Urgently address the underachievement of all other groups of pupils in Poole.
  • Develop a strategic approach to raising standards that is securely underpinned by precise targets derived from incisive analysis of accurate data.
  • Ensure all schools fully understand and engage with the priorities for improvement.
  • Ensure the council scrutiny committee delivers value for money by holding leaders to account, frequently and with rigour, for raising pupil's achievement in Poole.

Cllr Mike Brooke said a lack of leadership from the former portfolio holder and now council leader had failed "several generations of Poole's students".

The former teacher and leader of the Liberal Democrat group slammed Cllr Janet Walton for a lack of "strong and decisive leadership and inadequate scrutiny".

He said the former portfolio holder for five years and new council leader, Cllr Janet Walton had "failed in her job" as portfolio holder and should have considered her position then.

The Daily Echo attempted to contact Cllr Walton three times yesterday but was told she was in meetings all afternoon and unable to respond. 

"It is clear the previous portfolio holder (and now Council Leader) failed in her job by not facing up to the challenges that the Key Stage 2 results have presented," said Cllr Brooke.

"It is the portfolio holder's responsibility to give direction to the officers and this just has not happened. As a result several generations of Poole's students have been let down, including those with special educational needs and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

"The schools have also been let down by lack of adequate and appropriate support. This must not be allowed to continue. I hope the new portfolio holder will recognise the importance of developing strong partnerships with our schools to ensure significant improvement is not only made quickly but is also sustained," he said.

"We have to do better, we have to do much better," admitted Cllr Mike White, Poole's cabinet portfolio holder for children and young people, who took over the responsibility three months ago.

"Clearly we have a problem, particularly in Key Stage 2 and we have to do something about it," he said.

He did not think the authority had failed children and said while there had been an improvement in KS2 results, this had not been sustained.

Cllr White said measures has been put it place including an additional £140,000 to support the school improvement service, they were working with school leaders and others to put in place a strong education strategy and had set up a cross-party working group to monitor progress.

"We are saying we want all our kids to attend a school which is good or outstanding. That is quite ambitious," he said.

"That is over the life time of the plan which is three to four years."

He pointed out that more than three-quarters of Poole's schools were good or outstanding.

He added: "I'm determined to do everything we can to make sure it does improve."

  • A DfE spokesperson said: “Today’s report shows that too many children in Poole are still being let down.

“We are pleased to see action is now taking being taken to address the previously weak challenge and support, however progress remains too slow.

“We are already working closely with the council to tackle underperformance in maintained schools and Schools Minister Nick Gibb has written to the local authority asking them to set out urgently how they plan to raise standards.

“We will consider Ofsted’s report carefully to determine what further action the department might take.”

  • BOROUGH of Poole education officials insist they are fully committed to implementing the recommendations of the report, which they concede "contains some hard-hitting messages."

However, officials also point out the inspection did find that Borough of Poole (BOP) now articulates a "determination and ambition" to raise schools standards.

Since May the council has allocated an additional £140,000 to increase the capacity of its school improvement service, and has started work to improve outcomes for disadvantaged youngsters.

A spokesman also explained how the borough had been working in partnership with school leaders to develop a new education strategy, setting out a "clear vision and ambition and identifying key areas for improvement supported by targets for individual schools."

BOP has also established a cross-party working group of councillors to monitor progress to raise educational standards.