Current statistics released by Ofsted show that 9 out of 10 primary schools were rated as good or outstanding but 8 out of 10 of their secondary counterparts receive the same level.
The significance of the apparent drop in quality may be misinterpreted in part due to the relative difference in size of primaries as compared with the secondary schools. It stands to reason that smaller establishments have a greater ability to deliver better quality of education. The larger secondary schools have a larger number of students to cover and a larger number of children so a direct comparison between different levels of education might lack merit. The transition between phases of education is important and a marked decrease in the quality and rating of a school as a child goes through the education system may have a detrimental impact on their progress.
Additionally it has been found that local authority run primary schools were more often rated good or outstanding than their academy counterparts. The Government have been pushing for more primary schools to turn to academies with the figure currently standing at 20% out of local authority control.
Despite the apparent gap in quality between primaries and secondaries the statistics are still largely positive with nearly 9 in 10 of schools being rated at least good. The quality retained within local authority operated primary schools is a testament to the good practice built up which seems to be prevailing over their newer academy counterparts. It is hoped that improvements continue to reduce the chance of children attending schools rated below good in the years to come.
