JUST over four in five schools in Gloucestershire were rated good or outstanding at their last inspection, figures show.

The latest Ofsted data shows that 52 state schools in the area were graded outstanding, and 199 good as of December 31 – 85 per cent of the 296 which had received an inspection by this point.

This was up from 84 per cent in December 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic.

And it means the area's rate falls behind that across England, of 87 per cent.

The proportion of schools rated good or outstanding nationally is the highest since comparable records began in 2010, but varied significantly between local authorities.

All 60 schools in the London borough of Camden were good or outstanding, compared to just 71 per cent in Doncaster, in the North East.

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.