A new report by the Children’s Commissioner says that Northern schools feel unsupported by their Regional Schools Commissioners, who fail to communicate “any plan” for the area.

Anne Longfield, who oversees children’s rights in England, found “very little evidence” of thorough work by RSCs, academy trusts or councils to tackle low pupil attainment at northern schools after a year-long investigation.

Secondary schools in the north are especially disappointing, compared to “impressive” primary schools, which currently get better progress than the national average.

But more than half of secondary schools serving the north’s poorest areas are rated less than ‘good’ by Ofsted, and many pupils drop out before sixth form or college.

The region’s RSCs were criticised by schools who spoke to the Children’s Commissioner. These are Janet Renou, the RSC for the North, Vicky Beer, the RSC for Lancashire and West Yorkshire, and John Edwards, the RSC for East Midlands and the Humber.

Read the full article in Schools Week.