Exam hall. Pic: Jack Haynes.
Ofsted have revealed that white school children’s results in Tower Hamlets are “the cause of continuing concern”.
Tower Hamlets is an area in which the proportion of white British pupils achieving at least five good GCSEs, including English and Mathematics, is five percentage points lower than for white British pupils in England as a whole, according to a recent report.
Newham, Barking and Dagenham, and Islington were also listed as areas of concern.
This is in spite of the fact that the local authority is on par with the rest of England for the level of GCSE attainment for all pupils.
More optimistically, the report showed that large percentages of children were attending primary and secondary schools rated as either “good” or “outstanding” by Oftsted.
Tower Hamlets was ranked joint 15th with Westminster, Barnet and Hackney for the percentage of children attending “good” or “outstanding” primary schools.
It was also in 11th position with Harrow and Wandsworth for its secondary schools.
Outcomes are poorest for white British pupils, children who are in care and for pupils from economically disadvantaged backgrounds,
The report said: “These figures are the cause of continuing concern.”
“We will be working with schools and local authorities where data suggests that white British pupils do well compared with their peers nationally.”
“Good practice from these schools and local authorities will be shared more widely with schools that are struggling to raise the achievement of their white British pupils.”
A spokesperson for Tower Hamlets Council said: “Tower Hamlets Council is proud of its schools’ success.”
“When looking at the proportion of pupils attending good or outstanding schools in London, Tower Hamlets ranks highly in Ofsted’s lists at both primary school and secondary school level.”
“Just one other borough is above Tower Hamlets in both lists – Kensington & Chelsea. For a borough with the poverty profile of Tower Hamlets to be ranked alongside London’s elite is a significant achievement.”
“Tower Hamlets is a well-known educational success story but we are never complacent.”
“Ofsted is now asking boroughs in London to look at what extra measures they can take to enhance the performance of white British pupils in particular, so Tower Hamlets will of course draw up a strategy to address this request.”
