Ofsted’s chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw will lead an expert panel that will examine the issues faced by communities in poor areas, with the aim of providing solutions to longstanding problems about how to support disadvantaged children.
The new review comes 20 years after Ofsted published a key report, which made recommendations for closing the attainment gap between poor children and their better-off counterparts.
It was based on information collected from visits to schools, youth and adult education providers in Bristol, Derby, Kingston-Upon-Hull, Manchester, Slough, Thamesmead and Thurrock.
In 1993, Sir David Bell, the then Ofsted chief, published a follow-up report, which surveyed 1,000 schools in deprived towns and cities, with more than 35 per cent of pupils on free school meals.
This found a lack of progress in most of the schools covered by the initial study.
It highlighted common features, such as high pupil turnover and difficulties in recruiting good teachers.
Sir Michael Wilshaw told delegates at the National College annual conference in Birmingham today, ‘Twenty years ago, Ofsted produced a landmark report entitled Access and achievement in urban education, which described the lack of educational success and the paucity of good schools in deprived communities.
‘Ten years later, David Bell, the then chief inspector of schools, marked the anniversary by producing another report under the same headline.
‘What was so depressing was that his report painted a similarly bleak picture of underperformance in these same communities.’
He said that while there had been some big improvements since then, particularly in London and among some ethnic groups, the gap was still too wide.
‘I want to see what radical solutions we can find to make a real difference to these gaps.’
The report will be produced next year to mark the 20th anniversary of the first report.
The review panel, made up of academics and representatives from schools, local authorities, and the voluntary sector, will consider five key questions:
Why are some children and young people more affected by socio-economic and educational disadvantage than others?
What more can be done by parents and education providers to ensure the best possible start for those that need it most?
Some schools are doing a great job for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. So what can we learn from them and how can we ensure that many more schools do as well as the best?
Schools and colleges have greater autonomy now over their policies and use of resources. So how do we secure effective co-ordination and improvement of local education services in areas of the greatest educational need?
What more needs to happen to ensure that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds achieve success in employment and as citizens?
