Education standards in the borough are on the up, with record numbers of positive Ofsted reports and steadily improving academic results.
The council’s latest report shows how the council is on track to successfully deliver its vision for school quality.
Croydon now has 80% of its secondary schools judged by Ofsted as good or better, and half of these are ranked as outstanding. These figures are the highest proportion ever for Croydon.
Pupils in Croydon are doing better than ever before thanks to the majority of the borough’s schools delivering improved teaching as a result of the council’s focus on both monitoring and addressing results at every stage.
Many of the measures of Croydon pupils’ performance at all ages are now at the highest levels for many years. Improvements now mean that Croydon’s scores are often above national averages.
This includes a big improvement of nearly 6% at early-years foundation stage, which is a critical age to help set children up for future academic success.
Another important measure is the outcome of key stage 2 tests at age 11 in reading, writing and mathematics. Croydon’s pupils outperformed their peers elsewhere in the country for the first time in years, as did those older pupils who took their GCSEs last year. Across the UK, there was a drop in GCSE scores; however, Croydon bucked this trend and saw combined results for English and mathematics hold steady above the national average.
The new report, published this week, emphasises how the council is striving to make sure every school is somewhere a parent would choose to have their children study.
It also lays out the council’s ambition to see every child become the best they can be when compared with their peers elsewhere in London and the UK.
The council has a school improvement plan, which is delivered jointly with The Octavo Partnership, teaching schools and Croydon’s head teachers, in order to improve still further standards at all key stages.
The report outlines a wide range of initiatives designed to train and support both teachers and school leaders. It lays out a number of different approaches designed to share best practice between schools, and puts emphasis on ensuring that those new to the teaching profession receive plenty of additional guidance to ensure they succeed in helping their pupils reach their full potential.
The council also has a very clear policy with regards challenging underperforming schools, and in the most serious cases it may take steps to replace governing bodies, withdraw budgets, appoint additional governors, or issue formal warning notices.
“It has been one of our top priorities to improve both the numbers of schools judged good or better by Ofsted and the test and exam results being achieved by Croydon pupils. This report clearly sets out just how successful we’ve been. It also lays out a blueprint for how we’ll continue our efforts to raise standards still further.”
Councillor Alisa Flemming, cabinet member for children, young people and learning
The council has a school improvement plan, which is delivered jointly with The Octavo Partnership, teaching schools and Croydon’s head teachers, in order to improve still further standards at all key stages.
The report outlines a wide range of initiatives designed to train and support both teachers and school leaders. It lays out a number of different approaches designed to share best practice between schools, and puts emphasis on ensuring that those new to the teaching profession receive plenty of additional guidance to ensure they succeed in helping their pupils reach their full potential.
The council also has a very clear policy with regards challenging underperforming schools, and in the most serious cases it may take steps to replace governing bodies, withdraw budgets, appoint additional governors, or issue formal warning notices.
