Ofsted set sights on 'mediocre' teaching and learning

24 Nov 2009

The annual report from Ofsted, published today, paints a picture of a schools system that is improving but which still has 'stubborn core' of inadequate teaching. 

Overall, 69% of schools in England were judged 'good' or 'outstanding'. This compares to 64% last year and 59% in 2005/6.

Just 4% of schools were judged 'inadequate', although this rose to 6% amongst secondary schools.

City Academies did not fare too well, with 5 of he 30 inspected rated as 'inadequate' and a further 8 only 'satisfactory'. However, Ofsted concludes that many Academies are making big improvements compared to the schools they replaced.

Ofsted defended itself against charges that schools were being failed because of technical or minor failures to meet the new safeguarding arrangements. The Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, denied charges that schools had failed their inspection just because they had, for example, a hole in their perimeter fence.

Nevertheless, the annual report revealed that 12 schools, which were in all other respects at least satisfactory, had failed to pass the safeguarding aspect of the inspection and so had been given a 'notice to improve'.

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