Council working with Whitchurch secondary school to raise standards

Shropshire Council has stepped in to oversee improvements at Sir John Talbot’s Technology College and Sixth Form in Whitchurch to ensure standards are quickly raised. 

The council is concerned about the leadership and governance at the college, and the falling standards of attainment, so an interim executive board – a small group of education professionals and experienced governors – has been put in place to make sure improvements are made. 

The Government’s chief inspector of education, Sir Michael Wilshaw, recently said that councils should make greater use of their powers like this to raise standards at schools which may not be performing well enough. 

David Taylor, Shropshire Council’s corporate director – people, said:

“The council has been working with the school to address its concerns for some time, and in May decided to exercise its powers of intervention and issued the school with a Warning Notice.  Subsequently, we asked the Secretary of State to allow the council to remove the delegated powers of the school governors. 

“The school will now be governed by an interim executive board, which will manage and oversee the school to ensure rapid and sustainable improvements are made to improve the outcomes for children and young people at the school.” 

Cecilia Motley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for education and skills, added:

“The recent annual report by Ofsted highlighted the importance of councils using their powers in this way to drive forward improvements at schools, to ensure pupils are being given the best educational opportunities possible.  Ultimately, this is a management issue, and there is no need for parents or pupils to be concerned.  It is essentially business as usual and school life will carry on as normal for pupils.” 

A letter has been sent to parents by the school, informing them of the changes.  The letter is attached below.

Letter to Sir John Talbot parents – 11 December 2012