Ofsted chief tells of ‘lost standards and ambitions’
He said too many children were still coming to school against a background of “lost standards, values and ambitions”. The impact of social problems such as teenage pregnancy, youth crime and truancy on schools and young people should not be under-estimated, he said.
He announced that Ofsted is to launch a major review looking at the issues facing deprived communities and the best ways to help children in these areas.
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Hide AdIn a speech at the National College’s annual conference in Birmingham yesterday, Sir Michael said: “I really do recognise how some schools have to battle against an anti-learning culture within the communities they serve.”
He suggested that working class communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries had a “real respect for education”. “We need to bring back ambition to communities that lack aspiration,” he said.