ALMOST 100 schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole were rated good or outstanding at their last inspection, figures show.

The latest Ofsted data shows that 23 state schools in the area were graded outstanding, and 67 good as of December 31, 90 of the 99 which had received an inspection by this point.

This was up from 88 in December 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, when 99 were also rated.

Inspectors judge schools on categories including the quality of teaching, personal development and welfare, the effectiveness of the leadership and pupils' achievements.

Schools requiring improvement will be inspected again within 30 months, while those deemed good or outstanding will usually be reviewed again once every four years.

However, the Association of School and College Leaders said that there were problems with the inspection system.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the ASCL, said: “Schools in disadvantaged communities are more likely to receive negative ratings than those in affluent areas because it is often harder in these areas to recruit the range of staff needed to support pupils who may face significant challenges in their own lives."

He said it is a "vicious circle" where negative Ofsted ratings stigmatise schools and make improvement even more difficult.

Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: "Ofsted is a bankrupt idea, long discredited by the profession as any sort of arbiter on schools.

"The inspectors are out of touch and the inspections punitive, giving a narrow view of what a school is achieving with its students.”

Of the 90 schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole rated good or higher, 59 were primary schools, and 21 secondary schools.

There were also eight special schools and two schools offering alternative provision graded good or outstanding.

The Department for Education said inspections provide an independent and rounded assessment of schools, which are helpful to both teachers and parents.

A spokeswoman added additional funding would enable Ofsted to inspect all schools between summer 2021 and summer 2025 to provide a complete picture of post-pandemic education.

Ofsted declined to comment.