In the 2022 to 2023 school year….25.2% of disadvantaged pupils and 52.4% of all other pupils got a grade 5 or above.¹

The attainment gap disadvantaged children suffer is a chasm. Those schools which reduce the gap are adding value to the most vulnerable people in Britain. Reducing the gap make social mobility possible. OFSTED ignores this in their reports.²

Cockburn School, Leeds

OFSTED’s perceptive report highlights strategies helping reading skills,

Many pupils use a computer programme that they can access at home to develop their reading skills.³

Reading skills is an issue as 39% of the entrants for the 2024 GCSE examination were disadvantaged.⁴ They achieved a 34.8% pass rate for GCSE Grade 5+ English and Maths. This is above the national average of 25.2%. Cockburn’s added value narrowed the gap to 21 percentage points.⁵ This is still significant but below the national gap of 27.2 percentage points.

Eden Boys’ School, Preston

OFSTED praised the school for tackling under-achievement,

Staff work closely with parents and carers to offer suitable support for pupils who do not attend as regularly as they should. This work has a strong and demonstrable impact.⁶

The school has done a wonderful job in reducing the attainment gap to 7.9%.⁷ They smashed the national average for all children. Disadvantaged children achieved a remarkable 66.7% pass rate at GCSE Grade 5+ English and Maths, which is well above the national average. Shamefully, OFSTED didn’t notice this achievement.

Jane Austen College, Norwich

OFSTED praised the teachers and the curriculum,

Staff adapt how they teach to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, without reducing their high aspirations for all.⁸ (my emphasis)

‘High aspirations’ aren’t fanciful. They’ve eliminated the attainment gap, which stands at 3.4 percentage points. Disadvantaged children achieved 59.6% passes at Grade 5+ GCSE English and Maths. Like Eden Boys’ school it’s above the national average for all children AND was ignored by OFSTED.

Jane Austen’s entry for the 2024 GCSE exams included 28.5% disadvantaged children who achieved splendid results.

Salesian School, Chertsey, Surrey

OFSTED gushingly lauded the school and said,

Everyone achieves exceptional outcomes that prepare them for future success…⁹ (my emphasis)

‘Everyone’ is hyperbole. The attainment gap for disadvantaged children is 27.2 percentage points. Salesian’s 2024 results is a sickening 30.1 percentage points. This outstanding school let down their disadvantaged children. OFSTED didn’t reflect on this in their gushing report.

Discussion

OFSTED isn’t fit for purpose.

The principal point about compulsory education is that there should be tangible benefits for children and society. The chilling attainment gap that disadvantaged children suffer in British schools is an outrage. Where schools disprove the suppressed premise that ‘education isn’t for that sort of child’ it should be celebrated and promoted. It’s beyond belief that the triumphant achievements of Jane Austen School can go unremarked upon in their OFSTED report.

Addendum: Disadvantaged Children

“Disadvantaged pupils are those who were eligible for free school meals at any time during the last 6 years and children looked after (in the care of the local authority for a day or more or who have been adopted from care).”

Notes

1 Attainment at age 16 – Social Mobility Commission State of the Nation – GOV.UK

The attainment gap is therefore 27.2 percentage points.

2 Salesian School, Chertsey – Open – Find an Inspection Report – Ofsted The relevant inspection clause is, Quality of education

3 50182293 OFSTED report 2022

4 89 disadvantaged children from 228 sat exams in 2024 See Results by pupil characteristics – Cockburn School – Compare school and college performance data in England – GOV.UK

5 34.2% for disadvantaged children compared to 55.7%

6 50250937 2024

7 66.7% of disadvantaged children achieved Grade 5+ GCSE in English and Maths. This is well above the national average for all pupils

8 50249706 2024

9 Loc.cit Disadvantaged children achieved 45.8% grade 5+ English and Maths whilst non-disadvantaged children achieved 75.9%