Taken at face value, Sir Jim Rose’s review of the primary curriculum has come up with some interesting proposals to overhaul what is taught in schools.

The trouble is he has been working with one hand tied behind his back as a result of Children’s Secretary Ed Balls’ decision to exclude consideration of the national curriculum SATs tests for 11-year-olds from his remit.  Sir Jim himself refers to them as “the elephant in the room” that every teacher wanted to talk about as he visited schools to gather his evidence.
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With Ofsted's remit being extended to inspecting all children's services, its usual annual state-of-the-nation assessment of our schools got lost yesterday because of more pressing concerns about child abuse in the wake of the tragic death of Baby P.

A pity, really, because chief schools inspector Christine Gilbert had a remarkably forthright message for ministers - that too many children and young people were being offered services that were "patently inadequate" - particularly if the lived in disadvantaged communities.

The percentage of youngsters on free school meals getting five A* to C grade passes including English and maths was singled out for particular concern.  It is 27.9 percentage points lower than for the rest of the nation's children.

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