Teaching assistants should be on “mood watch” to help boost the attainment of white working-class boys, says Ofsted. As well as developing their emotional wellbeing, schools should build these boys’ self-esteem through adventure activities and develop their literacy skills with action-packed books, inspectors said. A survey of 20 schools found that only 27 per cent of white boys eligible for free meals achieved five good GCSEs last year, compared with 59 per cent from wealthier homes.
