Former grant-maintained schools claim a disproportionate share of the “Oscars” awarded by OFSTED to secondaries. They form 28 per cent of the successful schools list.
A further 28 per cent of the schools are voluntary aided or controlled. Statistics on schools in England for 2001 show that across the country the former GM, now foundation schools, make up 14 per cent of the total while voluntary aided or controlled make up 19 per cent.
Mike Tomlinson, the chief inspector of schools, said: “In many of these schools there is a very strong ethos and strong parental support.”
Stephen Gorard, a professor at Cardiff University’s school of social sciences who has spent years researching school performance, said: “There is no evidence of differential effectiveness of entire sectors of schools. There are structural and socio-economic factors that underpin all of this.”
Professor Gorard has argued in his work that all minority school types, including foundation schools, have the ability to act as their own admission authorities and thus tend to increase segregation in their local areas. But Mr Tomlinson said there was no evidence that being able to select had influenced the success of the schools.
Ninety secondary schools and more than 220 primary schools were named as being particularly successful, as well as six middle schools, three pupil referral units and 21 special schools.
In addition some 180 schools were removed from special measures. Meanwhile 137 schools were placed in special measures, compared with 230 the previous year.
full list at: www.officialdocuments.co.ukdocumentofstedhc500ofsted.pdf
