Children from the poorest backgrounds are more likely to attend a secondary school rated below “good” by Ofsted than in 2016, new analysis suggests.
More than a third (35 per cent) of children from the poorest postcodes currently attend a school rated “inadequate” or “requires improvement” – a rise from 28 per cent three years ago. Figures show only 8 per cent of young people from the wealthiest postcodes currently attend a school rated as less than “good”, which remains unchanged in recent years.
The growing gap between children from the richest and poorest families is also seen at “outstanding” schools, where only 17 per cent of children from the poorest backgrounds attend, compared to 44 per cent of children from the richest backgrounds.
A shortage of high-quality teachers and “good”- and “outstanding”-rated schools in the most deprived areas of the country has widened the gap between rich and poor pupils, the charity says.
Russell Hobby, CEO of Teach First, said: “It is deeply concerning that in recent years we’ve seen an increase in young people attending schools rated as less than good – and it’s those from the poorest background that have been hit the hardest.”
Meanwhile, a headteachers’ union suggests rising house prices near top-rated schools could be pricing out poorer families.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We know that middle-class families tend to move into areas served by schools which are rated by Ofsted as ‘outstanding’ and ‘good’ and over time this pattern is likely to become more entrenched as house prices rise accordingly and become prohibitively expensive for disadvantaged families.”
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