DUDLEY'S MP is demanding a "relentless focus on discipline" to reverse failing school standards across his constituency.

Ian Austin says the slide of Sedgley's Dormston School into special measures after a damning Ofsted report is more proof schools in the region do not make the grade.

The Labour MP, who represents Dudley North, believes failing schools produce pupils without qualifications to succeed in an increasingly competitive jobs market.

Mr Austin said: "Just two schools out of seven in north Dudley got to last year’s national average when it comes to five good GCSEs including English and maths. Six out of ten don’t meet the national average across the borough as a whole.

"It doesn’t have to be like this. More than eight out of ten students at Ellowes Hall got five good GCSEs including English and maths. Results at the school have trebled in the last five years. There’s a relentless focus on discipline and standards. There is a pride in the school that wasn’t there before. That’s what we need to see in every school."

Ofsted savaged Dormston, which went from good to inadequate after an inspection in June.

Watchdogs found too few students got five GCSE passes including English and maths while teaching was inadequate and lacked consistent quality.

They also found leaders and managers at the Mill Bank campus did not make improvements to ensure students' achievements improved rapidly.

Ian Austin said: "I said after last year’s exam results that things had clearly gone badly wrong at Dormston.

"The school now has a new head and I think we should get behind him as he sorts out the problems Ofsted has identified."

As A level and GCSE students prepare to get their results during the next few days a new report from the Prince's Trust paints a bleak picture of lower aspiration among UK youngsters who leave school short of qualifications.

The report, called Abandoned Ambitions?, found 18 per cent of 16 to 25-year-olds believe they will spent some time living on benefits, the figure rises to 34 per cent among those with less than five GCSEs.

A shocking 20 per cent said they had abandoned their ambitions due to leaving school with poor grades.

Dudley Council's cabinet member for children's services, cllr Tim Crumpton says standards are improving and he expects all Dudley borough schools to be at or above the national average within two years.

Cllr Crumpton added: "We are doing all we can despite the fact the amount of funding we get is down, ten years ago it would have been seven times what it is now.

"That is where our Labour politicians at a national level should be, fighting for funding not blaming teachers which is what they always seem to do.

"Education has become a political football and it shouldn't be."