Report reveals Middlesbrough secondary schools among worst in country
ONLY three in 10 Middlesbrough children go to a “good” secondary school according to the education watchdog, which ranked the town third worst in the country.
A report by Ofsted yesterday exposed “stark inequalities” over the performance of schools across England.
It showed just 32% of Middlesbrough pupils attend secondary schools judged as “good” or “outstanding” by Ofsted inspectors.
The performance at secondary level strongly contrasted with that at the primary stage in the town.
Middlesbrough was joint 11th in the national table with 81% of pupils going to a “good” or “outstanding” primary school.
Among secondary schools, Bradford and Barnsley, with 28% and 20% respectively, were the only local authorities worse than Middlesbrough.
In Stockton 58% of secondary school pupils go to a “good” or “outstanding” school, while in Redcar the figure is 68%.
A spokesman for Middlesbrough Council said: “This report highlights the recent success of Middlesbrough’s primary schools in Ofsted inspections, and that is great news for the town.
“We can never afford to be complacent, but the significant recent improvements in pupil outcomes at secondary level this year mean it will not be long before Ofsted acknowledges the all-round improvement in schools throughout Middlesbrough.”
For Stockton, 71% of primary school pupils attend a “good” or “outstanding” school, while 68% do in Redcar and Cleveland.
Redcar and Cleveland Council cabinet member for children’s services and education Councillor Joan Guy said: “The council is pleased with the secondary school results for the borough, which are 7% above the North-east average, however we still have further work to do on our primary school results, which are 5% below the North-east average.”
Stockton Council cabinet member for children and young people Councillor Ann McCoy said it was “encouraging” that many pupils were already receiving a good or outstanding education, adding that the council will continue to work with schools to continue to improve standards.
The “postcode lottery” in school performance was highlighted in the report by Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw.
He said: “The inequities for local children are stark. This is completely unacceptable.
“That’s why I intend, from January, to use Ofsted’s new regional structure to inquire further into areas that are performing badly.”
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