'˜Don't use disadvantaged pupils as excuse for badly-run schools'

Disadvantaged pupils should not be used as an excuse for chronically under-achieving schools, the head of Ofsted has warned, as it was revealed that more than 130 have consistently under-performed for a decade.
Some schools have not had a good Ofsted inspection for 10 yearsSome schools have not had a good Ofsted inspection for 10 years
Some schools have not had a good Ofsted inspection for 10 years

Amanda Spielman, the education watchdog’s chief inspector, said the schools had unstable leadership, problems recruiting, and high proportions of deprived students.

But she hit out at the culture of “disadvantage one-upmanship” in her first annual report, 
adding: “Schools with all 
ranges of children can and do succeed.”

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Labour said Government policies had created problems with teachers’ pay and recruitment, while education unions said Ofsted could be part of the problem.

More than 500 primary schools and around 200 secondaries have been judged as requiring improvement or being satisfactory at their last two inspections, according to the report.

Of those inspected this year, 135 schools have failed to record a good or outstanding Ofsted inspection since 2005, including around 80 primary and 50 secondary schools, despite receiving “considerable attention and investment”.

A total of 129 schools were recorded as being open in 2016/17, while six were recorded as being closed. They include 32 schools in Yorkshire and the North East – 14 secondaries and 18 primaries.

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Speaking at the launch of the report, Ms Spielman said: “There is no doubt that the leadership challenge facing some schools is great. But progress is possible and we should all be wary of using the make-up of a school community as an excuse for under-performance. I do find myself frustrated with the culture of ‘disadvantage one-upmanship’ that has emerged in some places.”

Overall, education and care provided to young people is “better than ever”, the report said, with 90 per cent of primaries and 79 per cent of secondaries rated good or outstanding.

In Yorkshire 87 per cent of primary schools were judged to be good or outstanding, falling three per cent below the national figure. Overall, 72 per cent of secondary schools were judged to be good or outstanding – seven percent below the national figure.

Cathy Kirby, Ofsted North East and Yorkshire director, said: “School age children do not fare well. Inspection outcomes continue to sit below the national average at both primary and secondary level, with wide variations within the region. York, Calderdale, Leeds and Barnsley are the only authorities of the 15 in the region that meet or are above the national figures for the proportion of good or better primaries.

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“While there is much to do to catch up with national figures, at secondary level, Doncaster, East Riding of Yorkshire and Bradford saw high rates of improvements compared to the previous year. We have seen marked improvement in outcomes for pupils in both primary and secondary schools in some authorities, but more needs to be done.”

Meanwhile, Ms Spielman acknowledged in the report that what can happen when otherwise good providers have incentive to grow too quickly.

She said: “Wakefield City Academies Trust has recently announced that it is withdrawing from its 21 schools after rapid expansion. When we inspected its schools as part of a focused inspection, we reported that the trust had rapidly expanded but was still making a positive difference to the quality of provision within its academies. Two years later, having taken on seven further schools, it collapsed.”