Children who attend secondary schools in the Cheshire West and Chester Council area are receiving the best education in the North West, according to Ofsted.
The most recent Ofsted inspection data, from 28th February 2018, identifies Cheshire West and Chester Council as being the top performing local authority in the North West in relation to secondary school inspection outcomes.
Government inspectors found a very high standard of teaching and learning in the borough’s secondary schools, with 94 per cent of secondary schools across the borough judged to be good or outstanding in their most recent Ofsted reports.
The figures compare favourably against an overall backdrop of 71 per cent of schools across the North West being rated good or outstanding and 80 per cent across England.
John Dowler, chair of the Secondary Headteachers Association, said: “We are very proud of the strong partnerships between schools and the hard work and dedication across or school communities.
“While Ofsted visits do not always capture the many successes of schools, it is pleasing that the commitment of our students, staff and governors is recognised in this very favourable set of findings.”
Cllr Nicole Meardon, CWAC cabinet member for children and young people, said “We are delighted that so many pupils in our area are benefitting from such a high standard of education.
“This is a testament of the hard work and dedication of teachers, governors and all those involved with schools in the Cheshire West and Chester area.
“Achieving a figure as high as this wouldn’t be possible without the positive engagement of the pupils themselves.”
The news comes as the council launches its plan to help ‘disadvantaged’ children get top marks.
Government data shows that by the time children start school, there is a 19 month development difference between the richest and poorest children. This gap increases as the children get older.
To address this, Cheshire West and Chester Council has launched its “Diminishing the Differences for Disadvantaged Learners” strategy.
With £236,000 of funding being provided from the council’s budget, it will tackle issues which prevent some children from doing well.
Highlights of the strategy include:
• Encouraging parents of pre-school childcare to use services to which they are entitled.
• Tackling underperformance in schools by bringing school leaders together to share good ideas.
• Monitoring data to identify struggling children and offering help to schools where necessary.
• Providing additional support for children in the care of the council.
• Giving advice to parents in how to nurture their child’s education.
• Supporting schools in their efforts to ensure ‘disadvantaged’ children regularly attend.
• Helping care leavers and ‘disadvantaged’ young people find jobs by improving educational outcomes.
Children from ‘disadvantaged’ backgrounds are also set to get help to improve their maths skills after Cheshire West and Chester Council shared a £600,000 grant from the Department for Education’s Strategic School Improvement Fund with Cheshire East Council.
Cllr Meardon explained: “The strategy aims to close the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their non-disadvantaged peers, and achieve better outcomes for this group of children and young people.
“Cheshire West and Chester Council will ensure that the support it offers to schools is informed by the latest research, best practice and offers value for money.”
She added: “Making sure our children have the best start in life is one of our council’s top priorities. That is why it is so important that every child reaches their full potential regardless of their background.”
