OFSTED ratings have fallen below national standards for the first time since 2013 across primary and secondary schools in Wiltshire.

Despite being just two per cent below national averages, the county has seen a sharp decrease in the number of pupils in good or excellent schools after tougher inspections brought in by the regulator downgraded 13 schools in the last year alone.

School have now been told they must not be complacent with Good Ofsted ratings and must improve in all areas to ensure the county does not slip further behind other councils.

Just one school showed excellent leadership and no schools achieved excellence for their teaching quality and pupil grades. While 11 school achieved the maximum grade for the personal development, behaviour and welfare of children, council staff have committed to investigate why Ofsted standards have slipped.

Jayne Hartnell, acting head of school effectiveness for Wiltshire Council, said: “It is disappointing to see in the last years a change in the wrong direction, which we are not so pleased about. We have 83 per cent good or excellent which is down from last year which was 87 per cent, that is quite a decline.”

There are currently 237 schools teaching 67,382 children of which 82.8per cent provide Excellent or Good Ofsted rated education.

Laura Mayes said: “We are comparable with UK and southwest figures but there have been declines. We need to reinvigorate and secure school improvements in both local authority run and academy schools to ensure that their rating doesn’t fall to inadequate. I believe we can be so much better, we can’t be complacent and say it’s fine, we have hard working teachers but we’ve got to improve our other skills. We need to get under the skin of these results and have got to be more ambitious. We all have a role to play.”

Children’s select committee chair, councillor Jon Hubbard said: “While unfortunate that there has been a decline, we have gone from above average to average which while isn’t nice, but we have now moved inline. There is a chance to look at how improvements can be made.”

In the last year, Ludwell Primary, Wilton and Bardford School and Christ The King, Catholic in Amesbury were downgraded to Requires Improvement, the lowest grade given to schools.