PUPILS in seaside schools are now lagging behind their inner city counterparts, the Government's chief schools inspector has warned. The revelation comes two weeks after St Ives and Pendeen schools were both put into special measures after highly critical Ofsted reports. Ofsted's chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw has now said that top teachers should be sent into rescue failing seaside and rural schools. "We're calling these teachers "national service teachers", he said. "These would be a tranche of teachers identified – not newly qualified teachers – people who are working in schools that we know to be good teachers. We're suggesting to government that they contract with government and are then directed to these schools where children are failing." His call mirrors almost exactly the situation revealed by The Cornishman the week before last when Cornwall Council sent troubleshooter Richard Schofield, previously of Brannel School in St Austell, into St Ives School. He was tasked with taking over from current head Jenny Veal, who had only been in post six months, after Ofsted said it was failing its students academically.
