ENGLAND’S children are victims of a postcode lottery in gaining a decent education.

Some are facing a less than 50% chance of attending a good school, the Ofsted chief inspector has warned.

But in Kirklees, children have been given the best opportunities in West Yorkshire, according to the study.

The area has more good schools than all other areas in the region.

Some 71% of Kirklees schools are good or better, compared to 69% Calderdale, 68% Leeds, 65% Bradford and 52% Wakefield.

The best area in the UK is Camden with 92% while the worst is Coventry, with only 42% of schools classed as good.

The study claims that more than two million children are still being taught in schools that are not good enough, and a youngster’s chance of attending a high-quality school is often too dependent on where they live, Sir Michael Wilshaw said.

In his first annual report, Sir Michael said there are marked inequalities in England’s education system that must be addressed.

“It is absolutely a postcode lottery and we are never going to get a world class system unless we reduce these wide variations,” he said.

While the overall quality of schools has improved in the last few years, this is not consistent across the country.

A primary school pupil in England has, on average, a seven in 10 (69%) chance of being in a good or outstanding school, the report says, but in some parts of the country, a child has a better than 90% chance, and in others a less than 50% chance.

Sir Michael points out that there is no link between access to a good primary school and how rich or poor an area is.

Some of the poorest areas in the country have high numbers of good and outstanding primaries, while there are richer areas that are performing badly.

Clr Cath Harris, lead Cabinet member for Children’s Services, said: “It is very pleasing that children and young people in Kirklees have the best chance in the region of attending a good or outstanding school.

“A tremendous amount of hard work goes into our local education system, from people who work in schools, from those who support them, and from staff in the local authority.

“These partnerships work well because of our shared commitment to helping young people achieve their potential.

“We strongly encourage partnership working to ensure there are even more opportunities for learners to attend good or outstanding schools.

“Our aim is to ensure that young people in Kirklees have access to high standards of education within a stable and supportive school system.

“We have a lot to celebrate, though we also know the importance of continuing our work to make sure that more improvements are achieved.”