Letter: Don’t blame staff or kids for the school’s poor Ofsted

As a former member of support staff at Arnewood School, I am of course disappointed by their recent downgrading by Ofsted (A&T 24th May).

However, I hope we do not make the mistake of simply blaming the school staff and castigating the pupils.

Even 20 years ago the school and many of its students faced very challenging circumstances. These can only have been added to in the meantime by cuts in funding, attrition of teachers, closure of Sure Start and the crisis in housing, and health and social care.

Many reports have highlighted the poor start in life that many of Britain’s children face. This is not the fault of the schools but the poor government we have been subject to over the past decade and more.

Sue Seymour
Lymington