Poor pupils are still being let down by the English education system, Ofsted boss Sir Michael Wilshaw has warned. In a speech on Thursday, he will highlight the “appalling injustice” of children from poorer homes continuing to fall behind their wealthier peers.
Sir Michael will call for a tougher stance on “feckless parents” who allow children to break school rules. The Department for Education said every child, no matter what their background, deserved a world-class education.
He will also defend testing in schools, saying this offers disadvantaged pupils the prospect of a better life.
In a speech at the Festival of Education, taking place at Wellington College, Sir Michael will say the failure to improve the educational chances of the poor “disfigures” England’s school system. “The needle has barely moved,” he will say.
“In 2005, the attainment gap between free school meal [FSM] and non-FSM pupils in secondary schools was 28 percentage points – it is still 28 percentage points now.” Read more
