I was disappointed to receive news that two of our schools in Tynedale have got a negative report from Ofsted. These schools are Otterburn First School and Prudhoe High School. I have not visited Otterburn First, so I cannot comment on the specifics of the report, although I will try and visit soon. However, I know Prudhoe High School exceptionally well and have visited repeatedly. The school has my full support and I have made this clear to the outstanding headteacher Iain Shaw. I am certain that the school will return to positive reports very shortly.
This is the statement that I gave to the papers:
"Prudhoe High is an excellent school and one I am proud to visit regularly. It is a school with brilliant teachers and a wonderful head teacher in Dr Iain Shaw. This a setback, but I have full faith that these specific issues can be resolved and we can move on. Prudhoe provides excellent teaching for its 1000 pupils. Well over 60% of pupils attained five GCSEs grade A* to C including English and mathematics last year. In fact it is way above the national average for those key qualifications of English and Maths with more than 75% getting a GCSEs grade A* to C in Maths. That is what really counts.
With our campaign for a new building being successful, things are really positive for the schools future once these concerning but very resolvable issues have been resolved."
