Inspectors have found that African-Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi children are still under-achieving, despite improved education authority support for ethnic minorities.

African-Caribbean pupils start school with the highest attainment of any group but by the age of 16 the proportion gaining good GCSE grades is less than half the national average. Bangladeshi and Pakistani boys are also only half as likely to leave school with five good GCSEs as the national average.

Black pupils are more than six times more likely to be excluded from school than their white peers. Most of the excluded are boys.

In London, the exclusion rates are even higher with black boys excluded up to 15 times more than white.

In 1999, the Office for Standards in Education found education authorities and schools were not tackling the underachievement of ethnic-minority pupils.

Since that report, schools have been required to set targets for all pupils at the end of key stages 2 and 4, while education authorities have to produce plans to support school improvement. The ethnic-minority achievement grant was also introduced to help schools address the problem.

OFSTED, criticised last year by the Commission for Racial Equality for failing to tackle racism in schools, has now published a report into the work done by schools and education authorities to boost ethnic-minority pupil attainment.

Inspectors looked at 39 LEAs and found support is improving but is still too variable. London authorities were found to be particularly good but a significant number of education authorities are still failing to collect adequate performance data.

The report points out that “there is only so much LEAs can do” and “raising attainment depends on good management and teaching in the schools”.

Inspectors criticised schools for being too tentative in their support for under-achieving groups. The achievement grant has brought about positive change in some of the schools which receive it, but many are not making the most of the money.

David Lammy, parliamentary private secretary to Education Secretary Estelle Morris, who is tipped to be Britain’s first black prime minister, said:

“Clearly it is still the case that black Caribbean, Bangladeshi and Pakistani boys are half as likely to leave school with five good GCSEs. It is imperative that heads take these issues seriously and education authorities improve that.

“It is also essential to have more ethnic-minority teachers coming through. The Teacher Training Agency has a target of recruiting 9 per cent ethnic-minority teachers by 20056.

“Positive role models are important. It is Black History month at the moment and children are learning about ethnic-minority pioneers.”

The report also examined support for traveller children and criticised their poor attendance and achievement at secondary level. Inspectors found schools are too dependent on traveller education services and do not do enough for themselves, such as working with parents, arranging staff training and buying suitable resources.