Schools must improve says Wolverhampton MP
The government and school inspectors must help get schools in Wolverhampton off the bottom of the table following a critical report, an MP has said.
Pat McFadden said that the city had to accept the findings of Ofsted, which ruled that it had fewer good or outstanding primary schools than anywhere else in the country, but that it also needed support to move on.
He said that the city's high levels of deprivation could not be used as an excuse for poor standards and that he will 'never believe' the argument that Black Country pupils are not as academic as children from wealthier areas.
The Labour MP for Wolverhampton South East said the government and Ofsted had a 'duty' to help the city, rather than pass 'damning verdicts and then walk away'. In Wolverhampton, just 56 per cent of children attend a top-rated primary school, according to Ofsted.
The city is now rooted to the bottom of a national league table. Education chiefs have branded the results as 'not good enough' and pledged to take 'swift and decisive action'.
Speaking in Parliament Mr McFadden said: "Nothing is more important for opportunity and social mobility than a good education. "Mediocrity, low ambitions and a weary acceptance of failure cut off opportunity for young people. We need a strong determined response to this report and its verdict. There is no point in shooting the messenger. We cannot confront a problem if we deny that we have one.
"We must accept the verdict and vow never to be in such a position again.
"I do not believe that children in Wolverhampton are any less able than children from anywhere else. They should never be written off or be told, as I have been told, that 'our Black Country kids are not that academic'. I will never believe or accept that." Education secretary Michael Gove said he would like to visit Wolverhampton to meet with Mr McFadden to see what more could done to get inspectors involved in measures to improve schools.
