04 February 2005
Children from the poorest families are badly served by an education system that fails to cater to their needs, the chief schools inspector said this week.
Launching his annual report, Ofsted head David Bell paid tribute to the rounded education he received as a comprehensive school pupil, but also drew on his own experience to highlight the lack of progress.
'I was the first in my family to attend university. I find it troubling that over 25 years later many of our least-advantaged young people still believe that higher qualifications are beyond their reach.'
He said the increasing number of vocational options were helping to re-engage the 'missing 40%' of children who do not achieve five or more A*-C GCSEs.
Bell urged the government to fully embrace his predecessor Mike Tomlinson's recommendation for a broad-based, international-style diploma that makes provision for the abilities of all students.
'There is real evidence that vocational programmes are motivating youngsters to achieve more,' Bell said.
National Union of Teachers' general secretary Steve Sinnott said Ofsted's explicit connection between class and achievement represented a 'breakthrough in thinking' and urged ministers to act.
'One consequence must be the release of additional resources targeted at the specific needs of disadvantaged children,' he said.
According to the NUT, the current funding formula is too crude to respond to pupils' individual needs. 'A more systematic approach to funding schools to meet needs in areas of social deprivation must be developed,' Sinnott said.
Ofsted's February 2 report presented a mixed picture with overall improvement trends undermined by specific problems, such as variation in school performance and persistent levels of bad behaviour.
Bell echoed Education Secretary Ruth Kelly's concerns about discipline problems in the classroom and confirmed that pupil behaviour was unsatisfactory in 9% of secondary schools — a proportion that shows no sign of reducing.
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