Ofsted promises ethnic diversity

Schools are becoming more ethnically diverse

England's education watchdog is looking to recruit more inspectors from ethnic minority groups.

Ofsted has published guidelines which it says will ensure its staff deal appropriately with schools, colleges and childcarers.

It is also promising more up-to-date records of the achievement of children of different races.

Currently 9% of Ofsted's staff are from ethnic minorities, compared with 8% for the civil service as a whole.

'Strongly committed'

The organisation will be responsible for inspections of children's social care and adult learning from next April.

Jean Humphrys, Ofsted's dignity at work champion, said: "Ofsted is keen to develop and maintain good race relations, as an employer and also as regulator and an inspectorate of education and care providers.

"We are strongly committed to racial equality and fairness for employees, children, young people and learners of all backgrounds and our revised race equality scheme sets out how we intend to promote race equality in all aspects of our work."

Last week, the School Governors' One-Stop Shop charity said it wanted to attract more non-white volunteers to "keep up with a rapidly changing environment" in education.