Third of schools ‘not good enough’

New figures show that a third of schools across the region were placed in the bottom two categories after their inspections.

The tables give the outcomes of the latest inspection reports of every school in the country – including those done in the first three months of a tougher regime, launched in January this year, which has seen an increased focus on poorer schools.

Ofsted can rate a school as inadequate, satisfactory, good or outstanding, although the satisfactory category is set to be replaced with “requires improvement”.

New figures show that since January almost half of those schools inspected across the country – 43 per cent have been placed in the bottom two categories.

Thirty four per cent were classed as satisfactory and another nine per cent were rated as failing.

This number is higher than the overall national average where 28 per cent of schools are classed as satisfactory and just two per cent are judged as failing.

The increase is said to be down to Ofsted paying more visits to struggling schools.

However unions claim it is also because inspectors were not applying the new framework correctly. There is no regional breakdown for how schools in Yorkshire have performed in the first three months between January and March. However Ofsted tables do give an overall picture of the region.

It shows that three per cent of schools across the region are judged to be inadequate – 65 in total. Another 680 schools – 30 per cent of those in the region – were rated as satisfactory. Some 1,111 schools, 49 per cent, were good and another 400, 18 per cent, were rated as outstanding. The figures show there is a higher number of schools in Yorkshire in the bottom two categories than in the rest of the country.

The figures have been welcomed by Ofsted. A spokeswoman said: “It is encouraging to see 50 per cent of schools inspected since January were judged as good and seven per cent outstanding.

“Ofsted’s revised school inspection arrangements from September 2012 will aim to identify in particular inadequate and satisfactory schools that need to do better. The grade ‘satisfactory’ will cease to exist and Ofsted will monitor and support schools that ‘require improvement’ and focus them on helping raise standards quickly.”

The statistics also show that of the 144 outstanding schools inspected in this quarter, all were found to have outstanding teaching. There had been complaints that a number of schools were being judged outstanding despite having teaching that was only considered good.

Figures for the final quarter of 2011 show that of 294 outstanding schools inspected, 122 were found to have teaching rated as good.

From September only schools with outstanding teaching will be awarded this rating overall.

Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders said: “It’s important for parents to recognise that in terms of Ofsted, schools have to keep improving in order to maintain the same grade.

“A school rated good twice in a row will have had to improve in order to achieve that. A school which moves up a category will have made significant improvements since its last inspection.

“The figures do raise concerns about what will happen in September when the category of ‘satisfactory’ becomes ‘requires improvement’ and these schools are subject to additional scrutiny.”

Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “Today we have received official confirmation of what our members have been telling us since January; that the implementation of the new Ofsted framework has been seriously hampered by an ill-prepared workforce.

“The dramatic change in outcomes for March compared to January and February cannot simply be explained by Ofsted’s focus on vulnerable schools.

“In the first month of the new framework, 14 per cent of schools were failed. In the third month, this figure is just four per cent. This suggests either an attempt by Ofsted to manage the impact, or an inspection workforce which is only now becoming competent at applying the framework correctly.”