AN OFSTED director who said Swindon schoolchildren were being failed by their education has visited schools in the town to talk about the challenges educators are facing.

Bradley Simmons, south west regional director of the education watchdog visited Even Swindon Primary School yesterday for a tour of the school and a discussion about their future plans.

This comes four months after Mr Simmons said “Swindon’s children were failed by its schools at every key stage” in a letter to all headteachers, chairs of governors, council officials and MPs.

Alison Lowe, headteacher at Even Swindon Primary School said: “I invited Bradley into our school to see the good work that is taking place. A number of Swindon headteachers have extended the same invitation.

“We discussed the areas for development that we are currently focusing on and the improvements we are making towards these. Bradley took a real interest in the work of our school.

“He came to have a look around the school, visited classrooms and spoke to staff and children. He came in as an informed parent rather than an Ofsted inspector. It was good to have been given the opportunity to meet Bradley and share our school.”

Mr Simmons said: “I have visited a number of Swindon schools since writing to all headteachers late last year. I would like to thank those schools that I have visited for their hospitality and for the opportunity to talk to staff about the challenges they are tackling, and to spend some time with their pupils.”

In his 2016 letter Mr Simmons called the phonics outcomes for Swindon “some of the poorest in the country” while also voicing concerns regarding KS1, 2 and 4, declining Ofsted ratings in secondary schools and high levels of exclusion

His visit was welcomed by Swindon MPs who see it as a vital step on the road to improvement.

South Swindon MP Robert Buckland said“I welcome the fact that Mr Simmons is making visits to some of our local schools and hope that he is supporting the work of head teachers and staff in a positive way that will lead to better outcomes for more Swindon pupils and students

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson added: “It is good to see our local schools working pro-actively with Ofsted to help deliver the continued improvements. I have had a number of positive meetings following these visits and I am greatly encouraged by the constructive work going on.”

Councillor Fionuala Foley, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for children’s services, said: “I am really pleased Mr Simmons has taken the time to see some of the great work that is taking in place in Swindon’s schools.

“We expect to see considerable improvement in the headline Key Stage 2 indicators and in Key Stage 1 phonics results and that is a direct result of the support being provided to our primary schools. For example, phonics and writing champions have been appointed to model and share good practice across Swindon primary schools and The Teaching School has run a number of courses on the effective teaching of phonics, writing and reading.

“The National Education Trust is working with all of Swindon’s secondary schools to review the provision and outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and also for SEND pupils in the borough, and funding is being provided to some secondary schools to put teachers through the Improving Teaching and Outstanding Teacher programmes.

“Specific funded projects are being developed with schools judged as being requires improvement or below to raise attainment and council officers, in partnership with the Regional Schools’ Commissioner, have also played a key role in setting up partnerships with some of Swindon’s secondary schools that are not meeting national targets.

“But there is a long way to go and our new Swindon Challenge Board, which meets for the first time tomorrow, will seek to build on the excellent work that is already going on.”