500 schools stuck in poor grades cycle

PAGE 38 NEARLY 500 schools in England are “stuck” in a long cycle of poor performance, Ofsted has warned.

The watchdog said 490 schools had been judged “inadequate” or “requires improvement” at every inspection since 2005.

Amanda Spielman, of Ofsted, said education was improving but too many pupils were disadvantaged.

The chief inspector said: “There are still children who lag behind... for whom it seems the die is cast, before entering nursery...

“There is a group of young people who seem to have the deck stacked against them.”

Ms Spielman added that wealth remains a predictor of how well a child performs at school.