Leaders Question: Driving improvements in Oldham’s schools

Thank you, Mr Deputy Mayor,

I want to begin by paying tribute to all the pupils across Oldham Borough who have received their A Levels, T Levels, B Tecs, GCSEs and other qualifications recently. 

Mr Deputy Mayor, as a Council, we have MUCH work to do when it comes to education in our Borough. 

The latest OFSTED inspections across some of our secondary schools paint a very mixed picture. 

For far too many people in Oldham, there just isn’t the option of sending your children to a high performing school.

Too many secondary schools are rated as inadequate or in need of improvement. 

The impact of the pandemic years is still keenly felt across the schooling system and too little is understood about the impact that these years of disruption have had on pupil attainment. 

School absences are spiralling out of control. 

Persistent absences have risen by more than 80% in the last four years.  The damage that this missed classroom time is doing to the future life chances of our next generation cannot be overstated. 

This is unacceptable.  And it should be the top priority of this Council to help put it right.

Last month I wrote to the Director of Children’s services following the mixed OFSTED findings, asking him to outline the Council’s strategic response. 

Since then, we have had results day and another set of OFSTED findings, this time dealing with SEND provision in the Borough. 

The outcome?  Widespread systemic failings which must be urgently addressed. 

So will the Leader outline her own administrations’ plan to tackle these important issues and play a leading role in delivering the first-rate Education offer that Oldham deserves. 

Or is the strategy just to wait for handouts from the great and the good at Eton College?