37 schools in capital among best in Britain

Dozens of the country's best state schools are in London, education watchdog Ofsted reveals today.

Inspectors are publishing their first "school hall of fame", celebrating the primary, secondary and special schools that have won the best inspection reports.

The elite group consists of 234 schools that have been commended twice in Ofsted chief inspectors' annual reports since the education watchdog was created in 1992.

Thirty-seven of the schools are in London, and another 31 are elsewhere-in the South-East. Ofsted chief inspector David Bell said: "Since 1992, inspectors have carried out more than 52,000 inspections, so these 234 schools have proved they are among the best of the best.

"Our honours list stands as testament to the very high quality of education provided in our best schools, sometimes against considerable odds. I congratulate them for what they have achieved."

The list is published a day after new Education Secretary Ruth Kelly admitted parents did not have enough good schools to choose from.

This is a problem that is especially acute in London, where the gap between the best and worst schools - often in the same inner-city boroughs - remains worryingly wide despite nearly 20 years of efforts to raise standards.

While Ofsted is in celebratory mode today, its recent reports highlight how poor teaching and low expectations blight the lives of too

many children. Its latest report on reading in primary schools warns that many teachers are failing to inspire children - even those good at reading - with a love of books.

And a study of inner-city schools found many children were being prevented from fulfilling their potential because teachers believe they cannot escape their povertystricken backgrounds.

A quarter of 11-year-olds still fail to reach the standard expected of their age in maths, while more than a fifth do not hit the mark in English.

Nearly half of all 16-year-olds still achieve fewer than five Cs at GCSE and thousands leave school with no qualifications at all.

Some inner London state schools buck the trend. For example, Camden School for Girls offers Latin to sixth-formers and Ofsted says it is an "outstandingly successful school".

Headmistress Anne Canning said: "We are delighted to be named twice in the chief inspector's report. I believe it reflects the thriving school community we have here and our focus on achievement."