SCHOOLS in Essex are getting better but are still below the national Ofsted rating average.
A third of all schools in the county are graded satisfactory or in need of improvement, according to the education watchdog.
It means that 67 per cent of Essex schools are rated either good or outstanding – below the national average of 70 per cent.
In the autumn, Tim Coulson, director of education at Essex County Council, vowed to drive up at standards in the schools graded satisfactory or below.
But while the push has seen 40 schools meet the 'good rating' since their last inspection, Mr Coulson, who has been in his job a year, admits there is still some way to go.
He told the Chronicle: "Last September we had 180 schools graded as satisfactory and, of those, 40 are now good.
"We are pretty pleased with this number and feel really encouraged that schools want to make that jump."
He added: "Satisfactory schools are not bad schools. They are not schools where parents are really disgruntled. They are simply schools that should be doing better.
"In satisfactory schools, teaching is probably OK – the challenge is to show them how to move forward and make the most of every child's progress."
Mr Coulson and his team offer advice and support to all schools that need to improve.
"Leadership of a school is crucial," Mr Coulson said. "We see a lot of good and outstanding inspection reports that praise the head teacher and many that note the positive role of the governors as well."
In order to help a school, Mr Coulson's team first do a paper-based analysis of performance and, if the school request it, a two-day mock inspection.
He added: "The aim is to help schools to work out how far away they are from being good.
"There are some who are just waiting for Ofsted to come in and grade them as good. There are those who will be graded as unsatisfactory – and we have a package to help them.
"But real energy in my department has been spent on the schools in the middle and which have a way to go before achieving a good rating."
