According to a report by Ofsted, many talented pupils in secondary schools in England are given tasks that are too easy, which is detrimental to their academic growth. This report indicates that little progress has been made in the past two years in addressing the failure of state secondary schools to sustain the performance of their high-achieving pupils. Sean Harford, Ofsted’s national director for schools, has expressed his disappointment in the lack of challenge presented to able pupils during key stage 3 (the first three years of secondary schooling in England). The report also revealed that in 2014, only 32% of top-performing primary school pupils went on to achieve top grades in GCSE exams at non-selective schools, compared with 57% of pupils who attended selective or grammar schools. The Department for Education has made efforts to address these issues through the introduction of new accountability measures and tougher exams. However, critics argue that more needs to be done, and Labour has pledged to establish a “gifted and talented” fund to better equip schools to stretch their most able students. Last week, new research challenged Ofsted’s claim that pupils who achieve top grades at primary school should continue to do so in later exams. Rebecca Allen, director of Education Datalab, argued that it is unrealistic to hold such high expectations for pupils and that most children do not show linear academic progress. The government’s decision regarding the expansion of the Weald of Kent grammar school in Tonbridge will also be closely monitored, as many see this as a way of opening a new grammar school, which is currently prohibited by law.
State Secondary Schools Still Letting Down Talented Pupils, Says Ofsted
