Board will be a 'champion' for students
A new board is being set up to monitor and challenge schools in the county.
The Education Excellence Board will be created by Leicestershire County Council to help ensure children and young people receive a top quality education.
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It is hoped the new board, which will be made up of representatives of professional associations, headteachers and governors of maintained schools, academies and Further Education colleges, as well as council officers, will be ready to launch by spring 2013.
It is being set up in response to increased numbers of schools converting into academies in the county.
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Academies are semi-independent state schools, which receive funding directly and have more powers over areas such as the curriculum.
Councillor Ivan Ould, Leicestershire County Council's cabinet member for children and young people, said: "The education landscape has changed a great deal over the past year but we want Leicestershire schools and academies to remain among the best around.
"The new board will enable us to both challenge and support where this is not the case and help us to become a true champion for parents and pupils."
The new year will herald a milestone for Leicestershire with the creation of the 100th academy.
There are 87 in the county, however, by March 2013, another 17 schools are expected to convert to academy status, bringing the total number to 104.
The majority of secondary schools, 83 per cent, are academies in the county.
However, the number of primary schools which have converted remains relatively low at 22 per cent.
Half of all special schools in Leicestershire are also academies.
New legislation by the Government has sparked changes in services provided by local authorities across the country and means that a number of responsibilities have moved from the county council to schools directly.
As previously reported in the Leicester Mercury earlier this year, Leicestershire County Council made a decision to scrap its School Improvement Service which helps to monitor, train and support schools to improve their results.
This will result in the loss of about 44 posts by April next year.
Tony Pinnock, head at Wreake Valley Academy, in Syston, said: "I welcome any idea which allows parents to get information about schools and challenges them to be the best that they can be.
"I was concerned by the council's decision to get rid of the school improvement service.
"With this in mind, I hope this new board will serve a real purpose and reflect all schools accurately."
Comments
by Bob491
Sunday, December 30 2012, 11:13PM
“This will be just like the failed press board where editors declared themselves not guilty of doing anything wrong.
If this board is to be of any use, get rid of the headteachers and governors.
Replace them with teachers, students and parents.”