Conservatives have accused Barnet's Labour-led administration of failing pupils at some of the borough's poorest-performing schools.

Tory education spokeswoman Councillor Vanessa Gearson, used today's publication of school performance tables to accuse Barnet Council of failing to turn round schools which have seen their results stagnate.

Christ Church School in Warnham Road, North Finchley, Ravenscroft School in Barnet Lane, Barnet, and The Edgware School in Green Lane, Edgware, all recorded falls in the numbers of students achieving five A* to C grades at GCSE. Whitefield School in Claremont Road, Cricklewood, saw a five per cent improvement but it remained among the worst performers.

Mrs Gearson said: "These results are extremely disappointing, reflecting the fact that the schools in questions have not been given the due attention they deserve.

"It reflects a poor attitude towards the children attending those schools. There is no question that we have some of the best schools in this borough but at the same time we have some of the worst. That is unacceptable."

Mrs Gearson denied many of today's problems were a legacy of past Tory administrations, adding: "We didn't have any schools that were failing to cope now we have four."

Labour councillor Alison Moore, Barnet's cabinet member for education, said it would not shy away from radical solutions for secondary schools. It had a good track record of turning round failing primaries and results were not the only benchmark of success, she said.

"There are a whole range of issues like attendance and exclusions that feed into what is a good school," she said.

"There are schools where the levels of concern are different and where support and guidance from the LEA are not being taken or where improvements are not happening. We will not shrink from finding more radical solutions to these problems."

November 21, 2001 13:53

MATTHEW NIXSON