School ordered to improve standards
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.AN AWARD-winning comprehensive school in central London, once lauded by Conservative politicans, was yesterday found to be failing to provide a satisfactory standard of education and ordered to submit an action plan for improvement to the Secretary of State for Education, John Patten, writes Wendy Berliner.
Four years ago, Lilian Baylis School, near Waterloo, won the pounds 100,000 Jerwood award for extra-curricular activity. John MacGregor, when Secretary of State for Education, visited it and described it as an example of what the best in state education could offer.
But an OFSTED report released by the school yesterday found that standards of achievement in more than half of the lessons in the pre-GCSE years were unsatisfactory or poor; that many lessons were disrupted by bad behaviour; and that the school suffered badly from truancy.
Yesterday, a Lambeth council spokeswoman said: 'We are trying to be honest about this. We don't claim this school is a success . . . but we are optimistic.'
The headteacher, Greta Akpeneye, commended in the report for her strong leadership, said: 'I think it's a fair report. We are concentrating on teaching and learning and trying to bring up standards in the classroom.'
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments