TOO many children in East Lancashire are being let down in the early stages of secondary school, with the transition from primary school often poorly managed, Ofsted has warned.

A report by the regulator found the progress made across the country during Key Stage Three, which normally covers years seven to nine when pupils are aged between 11 and 14, is often slow – particularly English and maths.

The watchdog’s conclusions have been criticised by teaching unions in East Lancashire arguing that the blame should be proportioned to Ofsted rather than schools.

Teaching too often fails to build on the gains pupils have made in primary school, the report said, with both the leadership and education during this period often a cause for concern.

It suggested that school leaders treat Key Stage Three as the poor relation of Key Stages Four and Five, and as a result the deployment of staff and resources is too often skewed towards the upper age ranges.

The report, which used evidence from more than 1,900 inspections, said teachers were not consistently building on pupils’ prior knowledge and skills.

NUT rep for East Lancashire Simon Jones said: “We have a school system that holds schools accountable for what their students achieve through high-stakes testing at 11, and at 16.

“These are the sharpest pressure points. It is no surprise that schools come under pressure to focus on Key Stage Four.

“It is high time the Department for Education and Ofsted recognise that it is their own accountability agenda which causes schools to focus on high stakes tests and league tables.”

Head of Ofsted Sir Michael Wilshaw said: “Inspectors have found pupils often leave primary school with good literacy and numeracy skills, confident and eager to learn, but their progress then stalls.

“The importance of a good start to secondary education cannot be overstated.”