In the last three years when there have been three substantive and two acting chief education officers, some important developments in service planning have been cut and others inefficiently deployed. In general, the strengths of the LEA lie in the area of school improvement, where the schools receive sound support and advice. No schools in Richmond are in special measures or have serious weaknesses. Primary schools are performing well above national standards.
Secondary schools perform less well but are always in line with or better than similar schools.
However, inspectors say that while Richmond LEA performs many of its functions satisfactorily, it has significant weaknesses. Clear information is not provided to schools should they decline to purchase a service from the LEA and the authority is also having significant difficulty controlling its SEN budget. The inspectors conclude that while these weaknesses constitute a seriously defective performance in some of the most basic areas of its work, the LEA is aware of its shortcomings and members and officers are committed to improvement. Above all, the Council needs to review its structure for education in order to create a more effective and efficient system. Another inspection is recommended within two years.