CHILDREN’S progress is being hampered by a “stubborn core” of poor teaching, Ofsted’s chief inspector of schools warned.

While there have been improvements, there remains much in the education system that is “persistently mediocre”, Christine Gilbert said.

She warned that too many young people are still leaving school without basic maths and English skills, and it is limiting their life chances.

“If children are not taught well, they will not rise above low expectations,” she said.

Her fourth annual report, which covers inspections of childcare, schools and children’s services in England, found that almost a third of schools are still failing to give pupils a good education.

“There is still a stubborn core of inadequate teaching,” it said.

“Furthermore, too much teaching is just satisfactory and fails to inspire, challenge and extend children, young people and adult learners.”

The greatest challenge now is to raise everything that is only satisfactory “to the level of good or outstanding,” Ms Gilbert said.

While the report highlighted an improvement in the number of schools rated good or outstanding, one in five schools judged to be at least good last year was satisfactory or worse this year.

Ms Gilbert called for a focus on improving literacy and numeracy skills, warning that, while there had been progress, it had been “slow”.