Quarter of Bournemouth secondary schools 'falling behind' analysis shows

Of the 24 schools in the BCP Council area, Ofsted rates two as inadequate, its lowest mark, while four require improvement, as of September 30.

Its latest figures list seven as outstanding and 11 as good.

The picture was worse in rural Dorset, where nearly a third of secondary schools in the Dorset Council area are falling behind the required standard, the education watchdog says.

Of the 30 schools in Dorset, Ofsted rates six as inadequate, its lowest mark, while three require improvement, as of 30 September.Its latest figures list three as outstanding and 18 as good.

Schools requiring improvement will be inspected again within 30 months, while those rated inadequate now face mandatory conversion into academies.

In Bournemouth, there are 45 schools registered with Ofsted including primaries, three of which are rated inadequate while 10 require improvement – meaning 13 per cent overall are below standard. This is slightly below the 17 per cent average for the South West.

Dorset has 160 registered schools including primaries, 14 of which are rated inadequate while 24 require improvement – meaning 24 per cent - nearly a quarter - are below standard.

Across England, 20 per cent of all schools are classed as outstanding, with 66 per cent rated good, ten per cent requiring improvement and four per cent rated inadequate.

However, with more than 1,000 “outstanding” state schools going without an inspection in a decade, the National Education Union warned this did not accurately reflect the quality of education they offer.

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “This Government is committed to providing world-class education for all students and, where a school is judged as inadequate by Ofsted, the Department will not hesitate to step in and ensure that swift improvements are made.

“The gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has narrowed considerably in both primary and secondary schools since 2011.”