Schools chief: We need more competitive sport

State schools are being told they need to raise their game in competitive sports.

A report from the schools watchdog, Ofsted, claims a third of young people who excel in sports - particularly rugby, cricket and tennis - come from private schools, even though fewer than one in 10 children in England attend fee-paying schools.

The National Union of Teachers said Ofsted's comparison between state and private school sport was "ridiculous".

The NUT's deputy general secretary, Kevin Courtney, said: "State schools have neither the same facilities nor the same time and space in the curriculum for sport as independent schools."

The Chief Inspector of Schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw, insisted "facilities are important but the most important thing is the commitment and leadership of the head teacher".