Ofsted chief warns schools not to shun 'difficult' pupils

Schools should not turn away "difficult" pupils over fears they will harm their results, and face being evaluated on how inclusive they are towards local children, says Ofsted's chief inspector of schools.

- Richard Adams

Sir Martyn Oliver, the head of Ofsted, told England's school leaders that there would be a focus on inclusion in the new report-card style inspection reports to be introduced next year.

"First and foremost, schools must meet the needs of all their local children. It really shouldn't be the case that local children have to fit into the needs of their school," Oliver told the Confederation of School Trusts (CST) in Birmingham.

Speaking to journalists, Oliver said his intention was "ensuring that schools can match the needs and provision of children, especially children with special educational needs, or who are finding learning difficult, or are economically disadvantaged, or are vulnerable, whatever is their characteristic, and making sure that their school is working for them.