Chronicle readers back hard-pressed teachers

Evening Chronicle online readers spoke out in support of schools, with 86 per cent saying teachers are under too much pressure.

This followed a story in the Chronicle that Failsworth School has been placed into special measures by Ofsted after an inspection found that it is failing to give pupils an acceptable standard of education.

So we asked our readers on Facebook and Twitter whether they felt teachers are under too much pressure and 86 per cent of them said “Yes”.

In response to the report, Failsworth School head teacher John Meagher said staff and governors were angry and disappointed that it has been placed in special measures, the lowest Ofsted category.

He also claimed that inspectors broke the Ofsted code of conduct.

Readers took to our website to tell us what they thought of the news. Many criticised Ofsted, saying that its reports were too harsh and focused on negativity.

A reader, commenting under the username oldhamer5676, said: “The whole area of inspection seems to have become a growth industry over the past 15 years.

“Who are these inspectors anyway? All too often they are people who couldn’t get out of the classroom quickly enough and now earn a living making the lives of those still at the chalk/whiteboard a misery.”

Under the username manchesterlad10, another reader said: “Both my children attend Failsworth School and both continue to progress and attain those targets predicted on their leaving primary school. All schools have strengths and weaknesses and Ofsted as an organisation is often only interested in a school’s failings, which I find short-sighted.”

However, some agreed with Ofsted’s findings and said that Failsworth School was not up to scratch.

Using the username padalugra, a reader said: “As a parent of a pupil who attends this school, I have to partially agree with Ofsted. I have witnessed many issues I am unhappy with. My daughter has been moved up and down in classes like a yoyo. Lesson planning is in disarray, the school seems obsessed with making money.”

On Twitter, Adam Taylor shared a different view entirely, saying that children were also to blame.

He said: “Children are running schools nowadays: no discipline, no respect for adults and authority, let alone the poor teachers — disgrace.”