Ofsted highlights failing GCSE performance of Reading’s FSM pupils

Ofsted has declared a ‘shocking fall’ in the GCSE performance of pupils on free school meals (FSM) in Reading.

The watchdog claimed the finding was a cause for concern in a letter to Reading Borough Council, which called on the authority to do more to improve exam results.

Bradley Simmons, Ofsted’s regional director for the south east, warned that GCSE results in the region displayed a worsening gap between the achievement of FSM pupils and their peers. The inspections found that the total percentage of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grade A*-C fell from 59.3 per cent in 2014 to 57.5 per cent in 2015.

However, the letter claims the decline is overshadowed by the fall in GCSE performance of FSM pupils, where the number of FSM pupils achieving five A*-C grades fell by seven per cent.

Commenting on the findings, Simmons said: “Pupils on free school meals in Reading get the worst GCSE results of any area in the south east. Reading’s results show a wide and worsening gap between the achievement of these pupils and their more advantaged peers, both locally and nationally.

“I am concerned about overall GCSE results in the borough. These pupils deserve better if they are to have a brighter future. Local authorities have a responsibility to champion their most vulnerable pupils. That is why I am calling on Reading Borough Council to explain what they are doing to address this serious situation.”