My role as Cabinet Member for Children’s Services includes responsibility for Education including our schools. Over the past few weeks Knowsley schools have been prominent in the national and local media over a range of issues. It is a testing time for everybody working to support our schools, the teachers, leaders and governors in our schools and colleagues across the council.
Let me be straightforward: We want the best schools for Knowsley children and want parents to be assured we demand the best for Knowsley schools. It is not acceptable to the council leadership that our schools and schools’ support services are seen to be poorly performing. We give our commitment to leaving no stone unturned in seeking excellence.
As Cabinet Member I want to create a culture where failure is not tolerated. To change the mindset of many that think Knowsley’s high levels of deprivation mean we can expect less of our children and less of our schools. We will seek ideas to transform the way we deliver education and will seek ideas from residents and specialists in the field.
Are you aware there are sections within Knowsley Education and Children’s Services where we outperform the national trend? 100% of our nurseries are currently ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’, our Children’s Centres are (in my informed opinion!) the best in the land. We have many ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ schools led by visionary Headteachers. However, receiving national recognition for Knowsley’s strengths is not easy.
A media-led narrative of ‘poor’ children being let down because of the low aspirations of a Labour Council is their choice. This is far from the truth. We aspire for excellence everyday – council officers who are often challenged by my passion and direct questioning can confirm this. But this is because we want the best for Knowsley children and young people. Our expectations are high and our aspirations for Knowsley’s children match those of any council across the country.
You can also read Cllr Moorhead’s (Council Leader) latest blog post – An invitation to the Schools Minister
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