The number of Shropshire schools judged to be good or outstanding has fallen since last September, it emerged today.

But the performance of schools in the Shropshire Council area is still better than the national average, new figures show.

The county figures come a day after national statistics from Ofsted showed almost half of schools in England are not giving pupils a good education.

Nearly one in 10 (nine per cent) schools were declared inadequate in the autumn and spring term 2009/10.

The statistics show the number of schools deemed not good enough – rated inadequate or satisfactory – has rocketed since Ofsted introduced a new inspection regime last September.

Fallen

While fewer than three in 10 schools (28 per cent) were considered “inadequate” in 2008/09, the latest figures show that in the autumn and spring terms of 2009/10 this had risen to more than one in three (38 per cent).

Anne Gribbin, Shropshire Council’s principal school improvement advisor, said: “Shropshire has figures for 24 Ofsted inspections undertaken during the autumn term 2009 and spring term 2010.

“The proportion of schools judged inadequate has not increased in Shropshire. It has remained at four per cent for both 2008/09 and for the two terms of 2009/2010.”

But she added: “The percentage of schools judged to be either good or outstanding has fallen since September.

“In the whole of 2008/09, 51 per cent of schools were judged to be good and 8.5 per cent to be outstanding. Since September, 42 per cent of schools in Shropshire have been judged good, and four per cent outstanding. However, since last September Ofsted has been focusing more inspections on schools judged in the past to be satisfactory or weaker.”

Mrs Gribbin said during 2008/09 Shropshire schools were involved in the trial of new Ofsted arrangements.

By Education Correspondent Dave Morris