Read a full version of the letter sent from Oftsed's Regional Director Bradley Simmons to Poole council leader Cllr Janet Walton in the wake of a report slamming Borough of Poole for failing thousands of pupils. 

Dear Cllr Walton, 

School improvement in Poole You will be aware that we have today published a letter to Jan Thurgood, Strategic Director, People Theme, following our inspection of Poole Council’s arrangements for supporting school improvement.

I regret that many of the findings, despite some recent green shoots, show a clear lack of direction and strategic vision from the council.

Unusually, I feel it necessary to write to you also, to express my dismay and the depth of my concern about Poole’s performance.

Poole is now one of the weakest local authorities in the country at Key Stage 2.

For two years now, your officers have promised action, but have not delivered improvements.

In six years, Bournemouth has achieved almost twice the rate of improvement managed by Poole in terms of the proportions of its eleven year olds attaining the Level 4 plus benchmark in reading, writing and mathematics.

Over eight years to 2014, Poole has achieved an improvement of just five percentage points in the headline 5A*-C including English and mathematics figures; Bournemouth has achieved a seventeen percentage point improvement over the same period.

Bournemouth now outstrips Poole by any measure.

However one compares Poole at key stages 2 and 4, its performance, whether against national, south west or statistical neighbours, is weak. This is frankly inexcusable.

I would be grateful if you would write to me at your earliest convenience to let me know how you, as leader of the council, intend to hold your officers and schools to account for making a rapid and sustainable positive impact on the life chances of young people who attend Poole schools.

Yours sincerely

Bradley Simmons

HMI Regional Director, South West