Ofsted: rural schools 'failing to promote British values' But critics have warned that the move has led to schools in mainly white areas being criticised for being "too English," with few ethnic minority pupils. A school in Wiltshire did "not go far enough in making pupils aware of the rich diversity of life in modern Britain," said Ofsted. One in Kent with a predominately white intake was failing ensure "people's differences are sufficiently valued and respected." On Tuesday, claims of "political correctness" were rejected by Sir Michael Wilshaw, the chief inspector, who insisted all schools had to be "realistic about the diverse society we now live in." According to Ofsted, 35 schools across England were subjected to "no-notice" inspections between early September and late October under new rules intended to crackdown on schools that fail to offer a broad curriculum, control pupil behaviour or display weak governance. In a letter to Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary, Ofsted said that 23 schools were downgraded as a result of inspections, including two that dropped by at least two grades. Only one school saw its overall ranking improve. It emerged that inspectors found "concerns about the curriculum" in 17 schools, including 11 that were "not preparing pupils for life in Britain today." Sir Michael has already said that the watchdog does not intend to roll out the policy of lightning inspections to all schools, despite support for the system from David Cameron. Currently, most schools get at least a half day's notice. The 11 schools were made up of three faith schools - one Roman Catholic, one Anglican and one Jewish - alongside eight community schools. A report into Beis Yaakov High - a Jewish school in Salford - found that the school "does not adequately promote tolerance and understanding of people who live their lives differently or live in different communities." The report on the Charles Dickens School, a non-denominational institution in Kent, where almost all pupils are white, found that it failed to teach about "how differences in, for example, sexual orientation or ethnic heritages are valued and respected, and so students are not prepared well for life in modern-day Britain." It added: "The school is not a community in which people's differences are sufficiently valued and respected." In a report into Stanton St Quintin community primary in Wiltshire, Ofsted said it "does not go far enough in making pupils aware of the rich diversity of life in modern Britain." Last week, it emerged that a school in rural area of Lincolnshire had been marked down for failing to have enough ethnic minority pupils. But Sir Michael criticised those who suggested Ofsted was embarking on "political correctness." He said: "It's nonsense, for example, to suggest we would mark down a school for being 'too white'. We simply want to ensure children are receiving a good education and are being prepared for life in modern Britain. This is not about political correctness. It's being realistic about the diverse society we now live in. Above all, it's about being fair to every school we inspect - whether it's a faith school, a secular school, or whether it's located in an inner-city or rural location. A Department for Education spokesman said: "Our plan for education is clear that all young people should learn the knowledge, skills and values they need to prepare them for life in modern Britain. We want every school to promote the basic British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs. This ensures young people understand the importance of respect and leave school ready to play their full part in British society. While the vast majority of schools successfully promote these values, we will not hesitate to step in when pupils are being let down. The targeted use of unannounced inspections remains an important part of Ofsted's overall approach to looking at schools where there might be particular concerns.