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Bouquets and brickbats from chief schools inspector

In his first report for the new Labour Government, Mr Woodhead pointed to improved test and exam results, and "clear evidence that teachers are teaching more effectively".

The main credit, Mr Woodhead suggested, lies with a growth in direct, whole-class teaching, setting by ability and traditional teaching methods - all of which he has long advocated.

But primary schools must improve further if they are to hit ambitious Government targets, he said.

He also repeated his warnings both about wide variations in school achievement, which he said was, for too many children, an "accident of geography", and the poor quality of headship.

Could do better

One in six primary and one in 10 secondary school heads - more than 3,000 overall - were "not ... providing proper educational leadership".

Mr Woodhead also warned that some local education authorities would fail to raise school standards, the new role ministers envisage for them, without a "substantial improvement in their own performance".

Improvements

Tuesday's report, which is based on school inspections in 1996/97, found the quality of teaching to be "good or better" in almost half of lessons, and less than satisfactory in one in eight.

Pupil achievement at the end of primary education showed "substantial under- achievement" in one in eight schools, and in one in 14 schools at the end of compulsory secondary education.

Mr Whitehead said he believed his inspectors' reports showed a crucial change in the "culture" of schools, which pointed to future improvement.

Mr Woodhead said: "There is now a recognition that parents have a right to know what is happening in schools, that standards in some schools have for too long been unacceptably low and ... (that they) must rise if we are to have any hope of competing economically in the 21st century."

Schools were also recognising that they must take responsibility for their own performance.

Culture change

The biggest indication of the changing culture was the acceptance by teaching unions of new procedures for dismissing incompetent staff.

"Four years ago, the idea that any teacher might be incompetent was dismissed as a ludicrous, right-wing plot. Nobody now tries to defend the indefensible," he said.

Relevant Stories

Minister names and acclaims schools (03 Feb 98 | UK)
Blunkett gives schools £1,000 each (29 Jan 98 | UK)
Class sizes threatened by council cash crisis (28 Jan 98 | UK)

Internet Links

Department for Education and Employment
International Congress For School Effectiveness & Improvement
Office for Standards in Education

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