7-year-olds rank worst in country
PRIMARY school children in Stoke-on-Trent have recorded the worst results in England in four core subjects.
The city's youngsters were ranked bottom in combined assessments of reading, writing, maths and science.
Latest figures from the Department for Education (DfE) reveal Stoke-on-Trent was the only area in the country where less than 80 per cent of pupils achieved basic level two grades in key stage one assessments.
The overall level two achievement across all four subjects combined was 78.2 per cent.
It compares to 88.6 per cent in Cheshire East and 88.5 per cent in Staffordshire.
The DfE assessed 2,800 seven-year-old children in the city.
Figures also show that boys in the city are performing significantly worse than girls across all subjects.
Just 64 per cent of boys achieved a level two grade in writing, while almost a third failed to make the grade in reading assessments.
Overall, 82 per cent reached level two in maths and science while 72 per cent achieved the level in writing and 77 per cent in reading.
Tristram Hunt, MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, believes parents must take equal responsibility for the city's poor performance.
He said: "It's very worrying and should be a wake-up call for the city. That involved both schools and parents.
"Areas similar to Stoke with similar demographics and deprivation, including Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Hull, have performed better.
"If there are lessons to learn from these areas we need to make sure we do that.
"It's not all about schools but also about what happens at home.
"No matter how tired or exhausted parents are, this report shows they absolutely need to make time to read to their children, talk to their children and make sure that numeracy, literacy and speech is bolstered at home.
"It's difficult when people are working hard to make ends meet, but clearly there is a need for us to wake up to this."
Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: "The figures for Stoke-on-Trent are poor.
"They need to really look at how the primary schools in that area are teaching children to read.
"And the notion that a child from a poor family is somehow not expected to reach those levels is unacceptable."
Councillor Debra Gratton, Stoke-on-Trent City Council cabinet member for children's services, said: "The results are disappointing, particularly as they have not moved on sufficiently from last year, despite a nine per cent increase in foundation results in 2009 when the same children were assessed at the age of five.
"Some schools have made good progress but it is apparent that some obviously have not.
"We will be working to help schools and their governors understand performance data, so that they can critically examine their performance and provide appropriate challenges.
"We will also agree plans with under-performing schools to raise achievement, and will be promoting attendance at pre-school provision, especially for poorer families. It is important that this issue is addressed in partnership. The education of children doesn't just rest with schools, governors or the council.
"I'm a parent myself and recognise the importance of parents in encouraging the development of their children too."
53 Comments
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by NOONESHOME
Wednesday, October 05 2011, 7:09PM
“Scfc.Wow, You are one very sad,vindictive,and jealous individual.None of your posts have actually been about the topic in question.All you have done is attack my posts.I could not care less about inferior people like you,or your opinion,but please at least try to add something to the debate,and you grammar is still terrible, Are you dyslexic.”
by UnicornJones
Wednesday, October 05 2011, 6:56PM
“Yet another piece of evidence that Stoke-on-Trent is a failed and broken city. Thickest 7-year old's, fattest city, sickest city, 20% unemployment, this place really is a disgrace!”
by mole10
Wednesday, October 05 2011, 5:13PM
“So are we really expected to accept that the answer to a whole cohort of children is to ask the Parents to buck up?
That is a crime and those people who stand by that claim should be ashamed of themselves.”
by scfcscfc08
Wednesday, October 05 2011, 4:57PM
“NOONESHOME.
Only you could use ** COMA'S ** (and what was the apostrophe for?) in your sleep inducing ramblings, the rest of us use commas as punctuation marks. You're embarrassing and the sad thing is, you think you're being clever. If the staff at Newcastle High read these comments I bet yours will be pasted on the staffroom notice board to much laughter and finger pointing.”
by NOONESHOME
Wednesday, October 05 2011, 1:12PM
“Scfc.I love it when people with low inteligence like you make fools of themselves,I think perhaps you need to check your post before denegrating mine.You are allowed to introduce coma's into your post,Normally when you take a breath,Your face must be blood red with embarrassment,but then i am sure you probably get flustered in your classroom when the kiddies play up,by the way,the missus teaches at Newcastle High.Not haveing a good day, Are you?
Pen80.Thank you for an honest appraisal, My arguement was not with honest, hard working teachers like yourself,and my wife,As i am sure you are aware,but with the teachers who have let these children down year after year,by allowing them to leave primary school with no command of the three Rs, and while in some respects i see moles side,I do not believe that throwing more good money after bad is the answer.Sorry mole.”
by mole10
Wednesday, October 05 2011, 12:01PM
“We need an answer on the boycotting of Sats tests.
Did this have a bearing on the outcome?
The facts remain that we are the worst in England and the answer by the politicians is that Parents will alter this result.
That is a cop out and wishful thinking.
The political solution is to make a decision to purposely alter any future result by making a decisive plan that actually will deliver a result in the positive.
We must move away from this myth that bad teachers are an inherrant part of Stoke culture and stop using this derogatory term when it suits us.
More money diverted into this particular area will either give more teachers or more assistants.
We can prove easily that this course of action is justified and a politician then takes responsibility.
The case is clear so stop blaming parents and teachers.”
by littlemisspop
Wednesday, October 05 2011, 8:38AM
“pen80 - exactly what i was saying, the students who disrputed the classes so badly were eventually removed you say...dealt with. This just didn't happen in the case I was speaking of...the disruption of hour long classes went on for 2 years and as a result I never received any quality teaching, the teacher carried on in the same way for years after I left. No-one ever complained it seemed, as I don't know what went on behind closed doors, but nothing ever changed and the teacher remained in the school until retirement with everyone saying the same, he was useless and this is the sort of thing that needs sorting out. Why didn't parents complain, why weren't random observations made? It's also one of the reasons (just one!) that the figures in Stoke are so poor.”
by pen80
Wednesday, October 05 2011, 8:04AM
“littlemisspop the students I was referring to in my first post were a few students who couldn't be controlled by anyone in the school, one of the students threatened some members of staff with violence and even stole from some members of staff. Their behavior involved shouting verbal abuse at anyone, starting fights, causing trouble inside and outside the classroom. Guess what happens when you phone home, the parents reply would generally be "my little Tommy wouldn't do that he's as good as gold". Eventually these students were taken out of 'normal' lessons and eventually removed to alternate provisions by the end of their time at the school.
Tell me that's not a parenting issue, (they had criminal records and ASBOs outside of school too) and why should anyone have to put up with that?”
by pen80
Wednesday, October 05 2011, 7:55AM
“I am generally at work by 7:30am every morning and don't leave until 5:30pm except on a Friday when I do leave at 3:40pm. This is so I can make sure my classroom is sorted, that I have all my resources for all my lessons and to attend and early morning meetings that go on, I am there so late so that I can mark books and enter data onto the school system, phone parents and make appointments. During the holidays I spend half my time in school helping to sort out schemes of work, offer study support to the students and make any additional mid and long term plans to my lesson plans.
So nooneshome some teachers have to work extended hours especially when they work in a troubled school as we do not all have the pleasure of working in a high achieving school, yes I do appreciate the pension I will get when I retire in about 35 years (possibly longer under this government) and I do appreciate the holidays that us teachers get. Just saying every teaching job is different depending on who you work with and where work (i.e. the type of school and the age of the children.
I also agree that parents should spend more time teaching their children the basics before they start school.”
by scfcscfc08
Wednesday, October 05 2011, 7:17AM
“NOONESHOME
Thank you for endorsing my comment so succinctly and you have once again shown that you have no platform from which to make comment on education. You're obviously unaware of how poorly you write and yet you feel justified to condemn others on matters of education, a topic so clearly beyond your understanding. Pffffffft and your wife was never a teacher!”