Ofsted ratings for Northumberland Schools at record highh

Ofsted ratings for Northumberland schools at record high

The number of schools rated Good or Outstanding in Northumberland is at a record high.  
 
The figure currently stands at 88%, 2% above the national average of 86%.  
 
It shows a significant improvement from five years ago when the figure was 76% - 10% below the national average of 86%.  
 
Councillor Guy Renner-Thompson, Cabinet Member responsible for Children’s Services, said: “This fantastic progress is testament to the hard work of all involved and is a real team effort - from our dedicated teachers, support staff and governors to parents, carers and pupils. 
 
“Our highly respected School Improvement team work closely alongside our schools – both maintained and academies - and are committed to driving up standards and putting Northumberland on the map as a great place to educate children and young people.” 
 
The improved performance of schools was celebrated by councillors at a meeting of the Family and Children's Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  
 
The committee was asked to review the impact of the council’s School Improvement team and its direction moving forward.  
 
Councillors praised its “transformational” role in helping to deliver the best outcomes for young people and pledged to continue to support and “turbo charge” the service. 
 
Councillor Renner-Thompson added: “Education is our key priority. Investing in a service such as School Improvement shows the council's commitment to ensuring the support is there for our schools to help improve Northumberland's educational settings.  
 
“We have seen the benefit of this close partnership working and we are committed to investing in our schools where it is needed.  
 
“We’re investing over £100m in our school buildings and facilities, with major projects taking shape across the county and a number of consultations underway to make sure we have the strongest school systems going forward and that are going to deliver the best outcomes for the next generation. 
 
“This is an exciting time for education in Northumberland.” 
 
In Northumberland, 65% of schools are Local Authority maintained schools. Almost all maintained schools now draw on the services of the School Improvement team, along with many Academies. 
 
In the White Paper of March 2022, the Department of Education announced that Local Authorities would be allowed to set up Multi Academy Trusts (MATs), and that all schools are expected to join a MAT by 2030.   
Audrey Kingham, Senior Service Director and Director of Education and Skills, said: “We know our schools very well and that close working relationship has been strengthened over the last few years by the pandemic. 
 
“We welcome the opportunity from the Government to form a Local Authority Multi Academy Trust (MAT) for Northumberland and our School Improvement team are exceptionally well placed to develop, support and coordinate this.  
 
“We’re delighted with the level of initial interest shown by our schools so far and look forward to working with them as more information becomes available.” 
View all news