26 March 2004
School pupils aged 11–14 are benefiting from the government's Key Stage Three strategy, despite its 'persistent weaknesses', Ofsted has found.
In a report published on March 22, the education inspectorate said the strategy had helped the transition from primary to secondary school. But curriculum continuity was unsatisfactory in almost half of schools, with only 25% rated 'good'.
Chief schools inspector David Bell said: 'There is more attention to literacy across the curriculum, but the drive for consistency across subjects is faltering in some schools. The same is true of the use of numeracy.'
Ofsted found: 'Systematic, rigorous and productive attention to the strengths and weaknesses of pupils' work remains the exception rather than the rule, notably, but not only, in the marking of writing.'
It urged schools and education authorities to make more rigorous assessments, improve the information available about pupils when they transfer into year seven and to organise better catch-up programmes for poor performers in English and mathematics.
PFmar2004
