This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-25317247

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Ofsted tells schools to crack down on classroom disruption Ofsted warns of 'two nations' gap in school standards
(about 9 hours later)
Minor disruption and inattention in the classroom have been tolerated in too many of England's schools for too long - acting as a barrier to progress and learning, warns the head of Ofsted. The "battle against mediocrity" must be fought to improve school standards in all parts of England, says the head of education watchdog Ofsted.
Launching Ofsted's annual report, chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw will say "a poverty of expectation" is also a fundamental weakness in schools. Launching Ofsted's annual report, chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw said the gap was like "two nations", between the success of schools in London and weaknesses in East Anglia.
He says this prevents England moving up international league rankings. The report showed that eight in 10 schools were now good or better.
Teaching unions said a combative approach was not constructive. But there were still nearly 250,000 pupils in inadequate schools.
Sir Michael will warn of "a culture of casual acceptance of low-level disruption and poor attitudes to learning". Sir Michael raised concerns in his report about pupil attainment in certain regions of the country, such as Norfolk and Suffolk.
"The sort of culture that is a million miles away from the sort of cultures we see in some of the high-performing Asian countries," he will say. He said there needed to be a fairer distribution of good teachers and school leaders across the country, with incentives to encourage the best teachers to move to the areas of greatest need.
Last week, international rankings of education showed the UK was falling behind global rivals in tests taken by 15-year-olds, failing to make the top 20 in maths, reading and science. To have a world-class education system, he said "we've got to iron out these regional differences".
Shanghai in China was the top education system in the OECD's Pisa tests. He warned that children who are "born in the wrong area" should not have lower expectations in what they can achieve.
'Horseplay' He also drew attention to the plight of white working class boys, saying this group was being left behind.
Sir Michael is expected to use his speech to call on England's school leaders who are failing to deal with naughty behaviour to create a "calm and respectful culture essential for learning". The Ofsted chief also raised concerns about poor behaviour, such as pupils answering back teachers or "background chatter".
Lessons should not be undermined by "background chatter, inattention and horseplay", he says. Sir Michael compared this low-level disruption to the classroom discipline of the east Asian school systems, such as Shanghai and Singapore, which dominated last week's international Pisa tests.
Speaking ahead of the publication of the annual report on Tuesday, Sir Michael told the BBC: "We're saying very clearly in this report that poverty, disadvantage is not a predictor for failure, that we've got lots of poor children now - more than ever before - doing well in our schools. "The sort of culture that is a million miles away from the sort of cultures we see in some of the high-performing Asian countries," says Mr Wilshaw.
"What we are seeing though is that the country is divided between lucky and unlucky children. We're seeing children that happen to be born in the right postcode who are fortunate children because they go to good schools with head teachers and teachers with high expectations of them. London challenge
"But we're also seeing unlucky children with the same sort of background, who are born in the wrong area, live in the wrong place, go to the wrong sort of school where there's poor leadership, with head teachers and teachers with low expectations of what they can achieve.
"And if we're going to have a genuinely world-class education system, we've got to iron out those regional differences and we've got to make sure that the really good head teachers and teachers in our land go to those areas to show others what good practice looks like."
Overall, eight in 10 state schools in England are now rated as good or outstanding by Ofsted - the highest proportion in the watchdog's 21-year history.
Tower Hamlets
One of the areas Ofsted praises for raising attainment is Tower Hamlets in east London.One of the areas Ofsted praises for raising attainment is Tower Hamlets in east London.
Di Warn, head of secondary learning and achievement there, said the secret of success was working in partnership with other schools and high expectations and support from local politicians. Di Warn, head of secondary learning and achievement there, said the key to success was working in partnership with other schools and high expectations and support from local politicians.
"One of the biggest things has been our focus on monitoring and tracking the progress of young people and we do that really rigorously," she said."One of the biggest things has been our focus on monitoring and tracking the progress of young people and we do that really rigorously," she said.
"I suppose what I would say to them [regions that are struggling] is to raise your aspirations and make your aspirations for your young people really clear and that poverty is no barrier to success and I think that is what London has proved more than anything.""I suppose what I would say to them [regions that are struggling] is to raise your aspirations and make your aspirations for your young people really clear and that poverty is no barrier to success and I think that is what London has proved more than anything."
Commenting ahead of the annual report, Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said: "The lessons from this country and from abroad are clear - treating teachers with professional respect and fostering a climate for school-led collaboration is what helps children learn. Christine Blower, leader of the National Union of Teachers, said that Sir Michael was "quite right to praise the progress of London schools".
"Ofsted, however, is severely inconsistent in the quality of its inspections, which leaves it undermined and seriously out of touch. She said the success was the result of schools working together and sharing best practice and that it was "political stubborness" that prevented this model from being replicated across the country.
"Its combative words do more harm than good."
A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "Sir Michael is right. Bad classroom behaviour is hugely disruptive to children's education. It means teachers can't teach and pupils can't learn.A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "Sir Michael is right. Bad classroom behaviour is hugely disruptive to children's education. It means teachers can't teach and pupils can't learn.
"That is why a key part of our reforms is restoring discipline in schools and why we have strengthened teachers' powers to put them back in charge.""That is why a key part of our reforms is restoring discipline in schools and why we have strengthened teachers' powers to put them back in charge."
The spokesman added that the government's reforms were already raising standards.The spokesman added that the government's reforms were already raising standards.
"We have an increasing number of brilliant schools and of outstanding heads and teachers. More and more are working with others to share their expertise to drive improvement in weaker schools. We are especially targeting areas where there are long-term problems, and recruiting new sponsors to turn round poor schools.""We have an increasing number of brilliant schools and of outstanding heads and teachers. More and more are working with others to share their expertise to drive improvement in weaker schools. We are especially targeting areas where there are long-term problems, and recruiting new sponsors to turn round poor schools."