Half of schools seen by inspectors failing

More than half of schools inspected in the West Midlands are failing to provide pupils with a good education, according to the latest figures from government watchdog Ofsted.

Across the region, 236 inspections were carried out between September and December 2009, with only eight per cent judged outstanding and 37 per cent good. In Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Walsall, Staffordshire, Birmingham and Dudley, 50 per cent or more of those schools visited by inspectors were rated as either satisfactory or inadequate.

Nationally, Ofsted carried out 2,140 inspections at primary and secondary schools over the same period, with half failing to provide a good education.

In Birmingham, inspectors visited 41 schools, with only three rated outstanding, 14 good, 22 satisfactory and two inadequate.

Out of 30 inspections carried out at schools across Staffordshire, five were outstanding, 13 satisfactory and four inadequate.

In Wolverhampton, where 14 inspections were carried out, only three schools were outstanding, with five coming satisfactory and two inadequate.

A total of 13 inspections were carried out in Walsall, with seven schools judged satisfactory and two inadequate. Only one school was given an outstanding report.

In Sandwell, 16 inspections saw six being rated as satisfactory and three inadequate. One was outstanding.

In Dudley, out of 11 inspections, four were satisfactory and three inadequate. No schools were outstanding.

The results reflect the first four months of Ofsted's new inspection framework introduced last September.

The new test looks more closely at teaching standards and exam results. It also has a sharper focus on weaker schools. Ofsted chief inspector Christine Gilbert said: "These results are what we expected given the sharper focus of the new inspection framework and the sample of schools inspected in the first few months. We wanted to concentrate more resources on the less effective schools and offer clear recommendations for improvement."