A “lack of focus and policy continuity” at the Department for Education is hindering efforts to improve standards for disadvantaged pupils, a former Ofsted chief inspector has said.

Sir Michael Wilshaw said that having five different education secretaries in nine years has caused a “turbulence in leadership” that has ultimately impacted on the so-called “forgotten third” - students who don’t achieve a standard pass in English and maths at key stage 4.

Speaking at the Schools and Academies Show and EdTech Summit earlier today, Sir Michael added that the government’s “levelling-up mantra” will remain a pipe dream unless politicians and policymakers focus on this issue.

He said: “About 190,000 16-year-olds fail to secure a standard pass in both English and maths. And this is especially the case for poor and vulnerable students.

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“These figures represent an affront to all of us who believe in a fair society. Somebody’s background should never be a predictor of success in education and beyond.

Government ‘failing disadvantaged students’

“We have a long way to go towards an equitable education system.”

He said that the UK compared badly with other countries including Vietnam, Estonia, Hong Kong, Poland, Finland, Norway, Singapore and Iceland, which have systems that mean disadvantaged students “do as well as their more advantaged peers”.

Sir Michael said: “The levelling-up mantra of this government will just remain a pipe dream, unless we catch up to those nations and learn from them and how they are doing.

“How do we catch up? Politicians and policymakers need to consistently focus on this issue. 

“But recent history has shown how difficult this is, when we have had such a rapid turnover of those responsible, of secretaries of state in one of the most important departments in government.

“We had five secretaries of state in nine years... if that level of turbulence in leadership occurred in a school, Ofsted might be tempted to put it into special measures.

“A lack of focus and a lack of policy continuity and progression not only leads to failure to initiate and innovate, but also an inability to evaluate existing government programmes to raise standards for the lowest achievers in the lowest-performing parts of the country.”

He said an example of this failure was the Opportunity Areas scheme, a £72 million programme aimed at improving the social mobility of schoolchildren in 12 disadvantaged areas of the country.

Sir Michael said that while it was a “very worthy” initiative, it has not been effectively implemented and evaluated.

“Are the designated opportunity areas working or are they not? Are they kick-starting improvement or are they not?” he asked.

“Where are the inspection reports on them, and where is the evaluation of what they are doing?

“From my experience in working in schools in Blackpool and in Derby, where there are opportunity areas, I have not seen much impact from opportunity areas.

“Headteachers in these areas have complained to me of too much bureaucracy and a lack of urgency in getting targeted funding to the frontline.”

The Department for Education has been approached for comment.