Children 'must not stay up late'

Maurice Smith: Pupils must be ready to learn

Parents must make sure their children are not too tired for school after staying up late to watch television, the head of the watchdog Ofsted said.

Chief inspector Maurice Smith said families had a duty to make sure pupils turned up to lessons feeling alert and ready to learn.

Children must be "properly nourished" and "not scruffy", Mr Smith added.

He was speaking as Ofsted published figures showing one in 10 schools in England was judged to be inadequate.

"Parents have a serious parental responsibility to prepare their children for going to school and working hard when they are there," Mr Smith told a conference of primary head teachers in Devon.

Pupils should go to school prepared to learn Maurice Smith, chief inspector

"This means being up and ready for school, awake and alert, not tired and lethargic from last night's television, computer or entertainment; being properly nourished and dressed, not scruffy or hitting the sweet shop en route to school for a substitute breakfast; being prompt and enthusiastic both at the start, and throughout the school day, not late or dilatory; being ready to learn - if to confront, to do so with debate and discipline, not ignorance and apathy.

"We need to reinforce the message that school is a 'place of work' preparing youngsters for the world of work, where a work ethic is required - not a house of fun to meet youngsters' social needs."

'Driven from the home'

Mr Maurice said learning was an active responsibility.

The chief inspector says pupils must not be up late watching television

"Pupils should go to school prepared to learn. Much of that responsibility is value-based and driven from the home, by parents," he said.

Chris Keates, general secretary of teachers' union NASUWT, said: "Parents have a crucial responsibility for instilling in youngsters the right attitude to school.

"Parents allow children to come to schools equipped with mobiles, iPods, MP3 players and PSPs. It would be a big help if they had a pen."

Majority "good" or "satisfactory"

Inspectors visited 3,984 schools between September 2005 and April this year.

The 10% judged to be inadequate was up from an average of 8% in previous years.

There is no hiding place for schools that are under-performing Jim Knight, Schools Minister

Ofsted has reformed the inspection system so schools are given only a few days' notice before inspectors arrive; the visits are also much shorter, now only lasting around two days.

Mr Smith said that of the 10% of schools judged inadequate since September, about a third were put in special measures, Ofsted's lowest category, while the rest were given a notice to improve.

Overall 60% of schools inspected since September were rated "good" or "outstanding" and one in three were satisfactory.

Schools Minister Jim Knight said: "Almost 60% of schools being judged outstanding or good is fantastic news and evidence of the hard work of teachers and pupils.

"The inspection arrangements we asked Ofsted to introduce last year mean that schools not only have to show that they are doing well, they also need to show that they are improving.

"There is no hiding place for schools that are under-performing, or indeed those that are simply coasting."