More schools rated ‘weak’ by Ofsted

Although a more than a quarter of schools had improved on last year, the most recent report highlighted half of schools as merely ‘satisfactory’ or ‘inadequate’.

Ofsted figures show that 11 per cent of schools were rated ‘outstanding’, compared with 14 per cent in the 2006-07.

9 per cent of schools were rated inadequate, up 3 per cent on the 2006-07 figures.

Since last year, Ofsted has undertaken a new inspection regime taking into account views from parents and pupils and with more emphasis on observing teaching in the classroom.

General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, John Dunford, argued that schools now had to do more to be rated outstanding and that it was simply down to the change in criteria resulting in poorer results:

“Some schools will not be able to achieve an outstanding grade, regardless of how good they are, purely because of the criteria imposed.”