Parents with just two schools to choose from ...and both are failing
A DEPRIVED area of the North has just two secondary schools — and both have been rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted inspectors.
The comprehensive schools in the TS6 postcode area, just east of Middlesbrough, have both been judged as delivering a sub-standard education.
It means thousands of local parents must send their child to a failing school – or face putting them through a long bus commute to a neighbouring area.
For the 1,250 secondary school pupils living in TS6, which covers Eston, Normanby, South Bank, Grangetown and Teesville and is overseen by Redcar and Cleveland Council, only an ‘inadequate’ education is available.
St Peter’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in South Bank was formerly a good school. But in February, Ofsted inspectors gave it the lowest rating and put it
‘Extremely concerning’
in special measures. And last week, Hillsview Academy, a merger of two other schools – Eston Park and Gillbrook – was also dubbed inadequate.
An Ofsted report found Hillsview was struggling with rising levels of racist incidents, a failure to deal with bullying and even pupils smoking in the school. The academy acknowledged it ‘ had seen a prolonged period of turbulence’.
It comes after Theresa May had to abandon plans to create a new wave of grammar schools, to end ‘selection by house price’ in areas such as Middlesbrough, when she lost her Commons majority.
Middlesbrough and neighbouring Redcar and Cleveland once had several grammars – but these all became comprehensives in the 1960s and 1970s. Data in a parlia- mentary written answer from schools minister Nick Gibb shows that the nearest grammar is now more than 30 miles away.
Middlesbrough has the highest proportion of deprived neighbourhoods in the country, with only 4 per cent of pupils going on to a top university.
Yesterday, campaigners said the area was an example of why aca- demically selective schools could bring hope to underprivileged pupils. Chris McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said: ‘Good schooling should not be based on having the money to buy a house in the catchment area of a good school.’
Earlier this year, Andy Preston of the Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation said Mrs May’s plans could help children in the area. He said: ‘New grammars built in the poorer parts of Teesside could be great news for all kids and families.
‘The schools could be forced to recruit 70 per cent of students from the poorest families – making sure that richer families don’t dominate a school’s intake.’
Councillor Craig Hannaway, cab- inet member for children at Redcar and Cleveland Council, said the latest Ofsted reports were ‘extremely concerning’.
He added: ‘We have recently met with the Regional School Commissioner and are encouraged that she is arranging for us to meet with the National Schools Commissioner to discuss the matter at a higher level.’