Specialist schools welcome Ofsted watchdog 'outperformance' claims. (From Stroud News and Journal)

Specialist schools welcome Ofsted watchdog 'outperformance' claims.

SPECIALIST schools in the Five Valleys have welcomed claims from education watchdog Ofsted that they are outperforming other secondaries.

Heads of Stroud schools which have specialised in a particular area of education said they had benefited from the status following Ofsted's positive report on the impact of the scheme.

The education watchdog's chief David Bell said teaching was better in specialist schools, which he claimed had a greater "sense of purpose".

But while the report says GCSE-level results are improving, grades in schools' specialist subject were said to be too low.

Tony Trippett, head of Maidenhill School in Stonehouse, said the school's successful bid to become a specialist performing arts centre had paid off.

"If you choose a specialism like performing arts, which is well-known to enhance self esteem and confidence, the benefits spin off across all departments," he said.

In its first year as a specialist school Maidenhill's rate of pupils getting A to C in five or more GCSE's increased four per cent. "It is very encouraging," added Mr Trippett.

Nearly two-thirds of secondary schools in England are now specialists, which focus on a particular area such as the arts, technology or languages.

Stroud High School has used its specialist science status to secure £150,000 for new buildings and has an extra £128 per pupil every year.

Head Jo Grills said: "We now have interactive whiteboards, which make a huge difference, and extra teachers who are able to use their time flexibly.

"Part of my philosophy is against having to write bids to claim additional money because there should be enough money in education for us not to do that.

"But my job is to get as much money for the school as possible and I think we have used it very well."

But Roger Lock, head of non-specialist Marling School, said the school felt strongly opposed to approaching local businesses for the expected £50,000 of bid cash.

"The whole aspect of going out with a begging bowl to industries for £50,000 is not really what one gets into teaching to do," he said. "If there is money available it should come through the taxpayers.

"Our GCSE pass rate is always in the high 90s, standards have improved in recent years and numbers of pupils have increased. "we feel that money should be available anyway."