England's school system is failing two million children by condemning them to a sub-standard education, the head of Ofsted warned today.
There are “serious inequities” between schools in different areas, with pupils facing a postcode lottery over their education, Sir Michael Wilshaw said.
In his first state of the nation report since becoming chief inspector of schools, Sir Michael warned: England’s schools are “not good enough” for a nation in the 21st-century global economy. The gap between rich and poor children remains “stubbornly wide”.
Thirty per cent of schools are not good, and there are huge disparities in a child’s ability to get a decent education depending on where they live.
In a major overhaul, Ofsted today launched a recruitment drive for eight new regional directors dedicated to ironing out the large differences in school results across the country.
The report highlights the dramatic improvement in London schools. Eighty per cent of secondary schools are now good or outstanding compared with 66 per cent nationally.
And 69 per cent of the poorest children in the capital go to good schools, compared with 45 per cent in the South-East.
But results between schools and colleges in London still differ hugely.
Pupils in Camden are more likely to go to a good primary school than anywhere else in the country.
Ninety two per cent of children there are at a good or outstanding school and Barnet, Richmond, Islington, Harrow, Sutton and Wandsworth are all in the top 10.
But children in Hackney and Haringey are among the least likely to go to a good primary school, with 58 per cent or below in decent schools.
Sir Michael said: “We have found huge variations in the performance of schools across different local authority areas.
"If we aspire, as a nation, to move to a world-leading system, we have to reduce these serious inequities.”
He also raised serious concerns about colleges in England, which he said are not preparing young people for the world of work, with London among the weakest areas.
Ofsted inspectors judged 13 colleges to be inadequate this year, compared with four last year.
And for the second year running not a single college was judged “outstanding” for teaching and learning.
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Sir Michael said: “The further education sector is a real concern for me at a time when the nation needs skilled and qualified people entering the workforce more than ever before.”
In his report he said: “Further education provision in London is among the weakest in the country, being in stark contrast with the unparalleled improvement in London’s schools.”
Nationally the proportion of schools rated “good” or better has increased from 66 per cent to 70 per cent in three years, and there are nearly 1,000 more “outstanding” schools.
But in his report Sir Michael said that a parent in Coventry had only a 42 per cent chance of sending their child to a good or outstanding school. He added: “Much needs to be done to increase the proportion of children who can attend a good local school regardless of where they live.”
Too many lessons are “sluggish and boring”, he said, and many teachers do not pay enough attention to literacy. And he warned headteachers and council education chiefs that it is down to them to improve failing schools.
He said: “Where we find inadequacy, questions must be asked of leadership, of governance, and of those accountable at a local and national level.”
Parents will from today be able to compare councils according to the performance of their schools. Teachers’ unions warn this is likely to be used by the Government in a further push for schools to become academies.
The report comes after the primary school at the heart of the Evening Standard’s literacy campaign earned its best ever Ofsted report.
St Mary’s in Battersea is now officially a “good” school for the first time in its history. Inspectors said the army of volunteer reading mentors, recruited through the Get London Reading campaign, had boosted results.
