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The Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools
Commentary
The period covered by this Annual Report has been a momentous one for
OFSTED, and a year on which I look back as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector
with a good deal of pride. I have been pleased to welcome to OFSTED over
1,800 childcare inspectors and administrative staff who together will
take forward our new responsibilities for the regulation of child care.
In addition, from April, our responsibilities were extended to include
the inspection of the education of all students aged 16-19 and, in
the period of this report, we inspected five colleges. The work with colleges
strengthens our ability to look critically at the quality of the whole
range of options available to this group of young people.
I am also pleased, as I approach the end of my career as a teacher,
an inspector, and finally as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, to be able
to report on an education system which is continuing to improve. This
Annual Report shows, again, that the quality of education is getting better.
The proportion of unsatisfactory or poor teaching is the lowest it has
ever been. The amount which is good or better has never been higher, and
it is particularly encouraging to see that there has been a notable increase
in the proportion of schools where our inspectors saw no unsatisfactory
teaching.
We are now in a position to report on how most schools have fared between
two inspections, and this, too, gives me grounds for optimism. The teaching
in about nine in ten schools is better now than it was at the time of
their first inspection. The amount of good - outstanding, even -
teaching that pupils experience is the key to raising their standards
of achievement.
The leadership and management of our schools continue to improve, being
good or better in some three-quarters of primary, special and secondary
schools. Given the ever-increasing complexity and demands associated with
headship, these improvements are very impressive. At secondary level,
the quality of leadership given by headteachers is often closely related
to the quality of that of heads of department. The impact of effective
middle managers is vital if secondary schools are to be transformed. The
development of robust, objective self-evaluation is also central to the
progress and improvement of schools. It should also be a key activity
which complements and informs external inspection. There has been a welcome
increase in the proportion of schools where monitoring and evaluation
of teaching and performance are now good or better, though much remains
to be done. In all schools, but notably primary schools, the constraining
factor in further improvement of school self-evaluation is a shortfall
in non-teaching time for those involved.
In last year's Annual Report, I said that we cannot expect progress
to be even, year on year. The proportion of pupils in their last year
of primary education reaching Level 4 in English remained at 75 per cent
this year, while the proportion achieving Level 4 in mathematics fell
by one point to 71 per cent. It was disappointing to see that the trend
of improvement in these results has not been maintained, although attainment
in science has continued to rise. We should, however, remind ourselves
of how far we have come: the Level 4 figures for English and mathematics
in 1996 were 57 and 54 per cent respectively. It is also worth noting
that the performance of pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 is better than previously,
and this suggests that further improvements in results at the end of primary
school can be expected.
The need to tackle the poor performance in the three Rs by primary school
pupils has been acknowledged and met enthusiastically and imaginatively
by teachers who have implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies
with determination and much hard work. At last, we have seen a slight
improvement in standards of writing this year, although the attainment
of boys in English, especially in writing, still lags a long way behind
that of girls. The Government's targets for 2002 - that four-fifths
of 11-year-olds should reach Level 4 in English, and three-quarters should
do so in mathematics - are still within reach, but this year's figures
are a clear warning that the task should not be underestimated.
Attention to the teaching of literacy and numeracy is essential and
many schools combine this with an appropriately broad curriculum. However,
in some primary schools the arts, creative and practical subjects are
receiving less attention than previously. This risks an unacceptable narrowing
of the curriculum pupils receive.
It is vital for secondary schools to build more effectively and quickly
on the achievement of pupils moving from primary schools and hence to
raise levels of performance at Key Stage 3. I detect a greater sense of
urgency in secondary schools now over the importance of raising standards
in Key Stage 3 and we continue to see improvements in the quality of teaching,
but these have not yet led to improved test results in English. The number
of pupils achieving grades A*-C at General Certificate of Secondary
Education (GCSE) level in five or more subjects has risen over recent
years, but there are still too many 16-year-olds leaving without any GCSE
grades of any sort.
A failure to achieve an early grasp of the basics of literacy and numeracy
denies pupils access to the secondary school curriculum. Such failure
also increases the chances that they will be excluded from school at some
time or will find themselves in secure accommodation. This Annual Report
notes that improving literacy and numeracy is a priority not only for
schools: our first inspections of further education colleges found that
among the most frequently encountered weaknesses was a failure to identify
and respond to students with low levels of basic skills. The quality of
the teaching of literacy and numeracy to young people in secure accommodation
and prisons is a particular concern. Action to deal with this issue is
needed in colleges, secure provision and prisons.
The achievements of pupils with special educational needs are showing
welcome improvement in both special and mainstream schools. This is particularly
noticeable in schools catering for pupils with emotional and behavioural
difficulties. Higher standards in literacy and numeracy are leading to
higher standards across the curriculum and, for many, to greater success
in appropriate qualifications.
This Annual Report has plenty of good news. There are, however, two
major themes that I have pursued throughout the year: one has been my
concern over the variation in performance between schools; and the second
is the importance of meeting the needs of all our children and young people.
First, the gap between the highest and lowest attaining schools remains
too large. Unacceptable variations in students' performance are also found
in schools with sixth forms and in the early inspections of further education
colleges. Although at primary level, the gap between the highest and lowest
performing schools is narrowing, at secondary level, despite improvements
within the lowest performing schools, the gap has widened. Many schools
facing challenging circumstances are working very hard to improve their
performance, but the multiplicity of challenges they face are not all
within their power to tackle. The number of schools failing to provide
pupils with an acceptable standard of education is falling. Some 137 schools
were placed in special measures, compared with 230 in the previous year,
and around a further five per cent were designated as having serious weaknesses.
This represents an unacceptable threat to the education of thousands of
children. While it is encouraging to see that almost 200 schools were
removed from special measures over the year, for many of these the challenge
is not over. There remains concern about the number of schools designated
as having serious weaknesses which fail to tackle these speedily and effectively:
too many of these find themselves in special measures some 12-18
months later.
My second concern is with those groups of pupils and students who are
still not achieving as well as they should. Let me mention a few of these
groups, although this list is by no means exhaustive. Disproportionate
numbers of pupils of African-Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage
achieve relatively poor GCSE results, placing them at a disadvantage.
The provision for children in public care varies too widely. Traveller
pupils' education is frequently hampered by poor attendance, or, at secondary
level, by non-attendance. Finally, we are becoming increasingly aware
from data that there is a significant group of "missing pupils" who should
be in school, but are not, and about whom, almost by definition, we know
very little. In total, these groups represent a significant number of
pupils who are still being failed by the system. It is important to be
aware of this when welcoming the improvements in the system at large and
the marked success of some schools in meeting the needs of these groups
of pupils.
There have been a number of initiatives aimed at offering hope to disaffected,
troubled or low attaining pupils. One such is the Excellence in Cities
initiative. There is promising news from some of the schools and local
education authorities (LEAs) involved: learning mentors and learning support
units are improving the support for the pupils with whom they are involved.
In over 40 per cent of schools visited by HM Inspectors provision made
through these initiatives was good or better.
Inclusion will be truly successful only if we recognise the achievements
and progress of all pupils. Current data focus largely on the achievement
of those pupils who achieve Level 4 at age 11 or five A*-C grades
at GCSE; this can appear to diminish the value of the work and effort
of some schools and some pupils. More reliable value-added data are now
being developed, throwing further light on the progress pupils make. What
is needed is not a single measure, but a series of measures showing the
progress made by all major groups of pupils in the school. If the achievements
of all pupils are not valued then it should be no surprise if they and
their parents fail to value the education provided.
As we come towards the end of the first cycle of inspection of LEAs
fewer are found to be wanting. Even more encouraging have been the improvements
made by the small number of weaker LEAs that have been re-inspected. There
is still some way to go, and few LEAs have reached the level where they
are having a major impact on standards in schools. However, the great
majority are now better placed to monitor, challenge, intervene in and
support those schools about which concerns have been raised.
Schools can do so much, but the active support of parents and the wider
community is vital. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in pupils'
behaviour and attendance, notably in secondary schools. After last year's
alert, I can report that behaviour in secondary schools has not deteriorated
further; but neither has it improved. Many schools are finding it ever
more difficult to impose a code of discipline which is supported by all
parents and in a quarter of LEAs inspected this year, the support for
tackling poor behaviour was unsatisfactory. It is worrying that, this
year, there has been a slight decline in levels of attendance. Some schools
have particular difficulty improving attendance levels when so many children
have their absence condoned by parents. Over 80 per cent of young people
stopped in shopping centres during school time by the police or welfare
service are accompanied by an adult. Schools, and in particular teachers,
need and deserve better support from some parents.
This, my last Annual Report, sets out the successes of recent years,
but also points to the work still to be done. Without doubt there are
pressure points in the system. This year, even more than in recent years,
the issue of the recruitment and retention of teachers has emerged. Although
nationally there are very few teaching posts with no one to fill them
and most pupils have a suitably qualified teacher to teach them, there
are real problems in recruiting teachers and in retaining them. These
problems affect some schools more than others and there are some subjects
in which shortages are more severe and a cause of much concern. Inevitably,
some pupils have a succession of supply teachers or teachers without sufficient
expertise, both being more common in the early years of secondary education.
Many initiatives are seeking to address the situation: for example, recruitment
to teacher training has been increased by concerted efforts and incentives.
Retention, however, is the most worrying aspect, particularly the proportion
(over 20 per cent) of teachers leaving within their first three years
in the profession. My discussions in schools suggest that the major reasons
why teachers leave the profession after such a short time are fourfold:
the poor behaviour of a minority of pupils; a heavy workload; the poor
esteem in which teachers are held by the public; and pay, notably in high
cost housing areas. Action is being taken by the Government to deal with
these concerns, but there are no quick fixes.
No-one who works with schools and teachers can fail to recognise the
day-to-day pressures or the hard work and commitment shown. OFSTED will
continue to keep the demands of inspection to the absolute minimum. The
Government, its agencies and LEAs must strive not only to reduce their
requirements on headteachers and teachers, but also to provide more strategic
planning across the various initiatives. The increase in the number of
classroom assistants should help to ensure teachers are able to give more
of their time to teaching. Similarly, headteachers must also be freed
from any unnecessary paperwork so that they can provide the leadership
so crucial for success in our schools.
OFSTED's priorities stem to a large extent from the issues raised in
this report. The inclusion of all children in high quality education remains
essential and will be the focus of continued work for OFSTED over the
next year. The first year of the regulation of child care and the inspection
of early years settings will be important for OFSTED, as will the development
of area-wide inspections and the inspection, with the Adult Learning Inspectorate,
of colleges.
I am in no doubt about the positive contribution of rigorous inspection
to the improvements set out in this Report. However, we are committed,
through consultation, to developing the inspection system for schools
so that it can respond most appropriately to the growing diversity of
provision in the system and concentrate resources on where they can have
the most effect. With the next school inspection cycle beginning in September
2003, it is vital we move ahead quickly.
In addition, OFSTED has identified further key issues on which it will
focus:
- the care and development of children aged 0-6;
- the impact of classroom assistants in primary schools;
- implementation of the Key Stage 3 strategy;
- provision for the 14-19 age-group;
- support and guidance, including that provided by the Connexions service.
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