SCHOOLS in the North-East have been given a warning by Ofsted's regional director that they need to improve.

Speaking at the North-East Leaders' Summit in Newcastle, Nick Hudson, Ofsted's regional director, told an audience of school leaders and other teaching professionals that schools in the North-East were failing to keep pace with the rest of the country and that as a result disadvantaged children in the area were being let down.

During his speech, he highlighted performance statistics showing children on free school meals were not making the same progress in the North-East as in other parts of the country.

"Throughout this region there are schools delivering outstanding education for their pupils, but it is worrying that there is such a variation in the levels of performance.

"Our disadvantaged young people are the ones who most need an excellent education. That is why it is of such a concern to Ofsted to see that they are not getting the same chances across the North-East as they are in other parts of the country.

"As Ofsted's regional director for the North-East, I am determined to ensure we do all we can to expose these problems but also to assist schools as they work to improve."

The proportion of pupils on free school meals gaining 5 or more A* - C passes including English and maths at GCSE in 2012 was 32.9 per cent in the North-East, compared to a national figure of 36.4 per cent.

In addition the gap between attainment, using the same measurement, for pupils on free school meals and those pupils not on free school meals was 31.3 per cent in the North East, compared to 26.4 per cent nationally.