Schools in deprived areas often face more challenges

The Association of School and College Leaders analysed the 1,011 school inspections carried out in 2005-6.

Some 88% of schools given Ofsted's top leadership and management rating had pupils with average or above average attainment on entry, the union said.

Only 7% of schools in deprived areas with low attainment got the same grade.

This was because an "apparent bias" gave schools in affluent areas a "built-in advantage", the union argued.

It said the most immediately striking feature arising from the data was the type of schools where outstanding leadership and management were identified.

This suggests that inspection does not take place on a level playing field John Dunford ASCL general secretary

It argued that the current inspection framework was not adequate to judge leadership and management in context.

Credit

Inspectors found it easier to discern good leadership in schools where there were fewer barriers to raising and sustaining achievement, it said.

The report argued that Ofsted had "too often failed to give due credit to leaders of schools and colleges in challenging socio-economic circumstances".

And the union called for Ofsted to take into account the context in which a school was working when making judgements on leadership.

General secretary John Dunford said: "ASCL's analysis of inspection results shows clearly that it is far less likely for a school's leadership and management to be judged outstanding if the school is in a challenging area and has a student intake below average.

'Implications'

"This suggests that inspection does not take place on a level playing field. Schools in affluent areas have a built-in advantage."

This had serious implications for the leaders of schools in challenging circumstances, he added.

"These are the schools that need the very best leaders and the apparent bias of the Ofsted process is a major factor in dissuading good leaders from applying for headships of these schools, where governing bodies often struggle to recruit," he said.

When England's national primary school league tables came out on Thursday, the National Association of Head Teachers said they simply showed where rich people lived.

A spokesperson for the DCSF said: �In Ofsted�s latest annual report they specifically recognised the contribution of strong senior teams to the success of outstanding schools in areas of economic deprivation.

"Ofsted is a fair and robust inspection process."