Ofsted: poor children being let down by inadequate schools
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- Category: Education News
Children’s chances of a decent education are still stubbornly linked to social class, despite 13 years of Labour, Ofsted warned today.
Inspectors said that deprivation continued to be a “significant factor influencing the quality of schools” in England.
In its annual report, the watchdog said that schools serving the poorest 20 per cent of pupils were four times more likely to be “inadequate” than those for the wealthiest 20 per cent.
At the same time, 71 per cent of schools in the richest areas were good or outstanding, compared with less than half of primaries or secondaries in the poorest communities.
The pattern is mirrored at other stages of the education system, Ofsted said.
This year, just over three-quarters of childminders working in the wealthiest areas were highly rated, against less than two-thirds of those in deprived areas.
The report said that children subjected to a poor start in life were much more likely to be trapped in a low-paid job and less likely to climb the social ladder.
“This variation in performance continues to have a significant impact on the life chances of many pupils, reinforcing inequality and reducing social mobility,” said the report.
“Addressing this is one of the key issues for the education system.”
Miriam Rosen, the acting chief inspector, warned that vulnerable children and those from deprived backgrounds "need the best services if they are to make good progress".
Asked if disadvantaged children are being let down by the schools system, she said said: "At the moment it does rather depend on which school they go to.
"They are more likely to attend schools which are inadequate, but still many of the schools in deprived areas are good or outstanding. The challenge is to get all the schools to the same standard, so they're all providing a good education for their children."
Read more about this story on The Telegraph website.
