EDUCATION chiefs have been accused of misleading parents about troubles at a local school. Parents of former pupils claim officials tried to gloss over the troubles when they complained about problems at Egerton County Primary over a year ago. And one dad claims a recent Ofsted report has shown they were right to raise concerns and move their children to other primary schools.

A group of six parents became concerned when the head and the deputy head went off with long term illnesses at a time when the school was doubling in size.

Worried education chiefs put in senior, experienced staff from other schools but this did not allay some parents' fears and they removed their children in 1997.

Concerns

One father insists that at the time, senior education officials dismissed his concerns over a lack of control over what was being taught, the low standards of IT classes and the attainment of high achievers.

Now all three have been highlighted as weaknesses in a recent Ofsted report which concluded that the school had suffered during a past staffing crisis but was now on course to get back on track.

The former pupil's parent, who does not want to be named, said: "Parents tend to trust schools and do not want to believe the extent of any problems.

"But I believe parents were misled. If you complain they all close ranks and become protective of one another."

Education director Margaret Blenkinsop denied a cover up and said the school and the LEA had been open with parents about problems caused by staff absences and action being taken to help bring stability back to the school.

She added: "These were an abnormal set of circumstances I would not wish on any school, but Ofsted recognised standards in English, Mathematics and Science were maintained during this very difficult situation.

"Even though a number of parents took their children away, it remained popular with parents and all the indications were that it was a healthy school."

She said changes in recent years meant Egerton was not alone in having difficulties with the curriculum and IT and pointed out that Ofsted reports found some weaknesses in almost every single school inspected throughout the country.

Mrs Blenkinsop added that Ofsted inspectors did not judge the weaknesses to be serious and dismissed many complaints, such as an alleged lack of extra curricular activities, levelled at the school.

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