Almost a third of schools are not good enough and many are failing to improve, inspectors have warned.
Ofsted's latest annual report shows that almost 800 schools, around one in seven, remain "stubbornly" satisfactory, warning that "real change" should be a "matter of urgency".
It also raises concerns about gaps in the quality of education, with the fifth of schools serving the poorest pupils four times more likely to be rated "inadequate" than those in the richest areas.
Acting Chief Inspector Miriam Rosen said it was of "great concern" that high numbers of schools, colleges and childcare providers are "consistently" no better than satisfactory, adding that it is "worrying" that the quality of teaching in schools is still variable.
The report shows that of all schools in England, 30% were rated either as only satisfactory or inadequate.
Among those inspected this year alone, almost half (44%) were judged no better than satisfactory. It concluded that 14% of schools inspected this year, nearly 800 in total, have been judged satisfactory twice in a row, and are considered to have no better than satisfactory capacity to improve.
Just 3% of secondary schools and 4% of primaries were judged outstanding for their teaching this year, the report says. Overall, teaching was no better than satisfactory in 41% of schools.
The findings, which cover the academic year 2010/11, also show that of the schools inspected, 11% were outstanding, 46% good, 38% satisfactory and 6% inadequate.
In addition, 16 of 84 colleges inspected this year were found to be satisfactory for the third time in succession.
Ms Rosen said: "Good teaching is absolutely essential to the provision of a good education and quite simply too much of what our inspectors saw this year was not good quality."
Children are at risk of "significant harm" in almost one in five local authorities, Ofsted's annual report also warned.
It raises concerns that pressure on children's social services has not abated, with rises in the numbers of youngsters in care, and those under protection plans.
Ofsted said that in inspections of each of the inadequate authorities, inspectors had seen delays in helping children and families.
The report issues a stark warning that one in five councils inspected this year - nine in total - were failing to keep children and young people safe.
Acting Chief Inspector Miriam Rosen said: "It is particularly worrying to reflect on the numbers of local authorities that are providing inadequate safeguarding services for children.Given that they are providing care for the most vulnerable children of all, this is not good enough."
The report says the figures are a "serious concern". It claimed: "All the inadequate authorities were judged to be placing children at risk of significant harm with delays in responding to children and families noted in every inspection."
It adds that, last year, children's social care was found to be "a system under pressure".
The report added: "This pressure has not abated. Demand continues to increase and rises in numbers of both children who are looked after and children on child protection plans has continued."
The nine authorities which were rated inadequate for safeguarding issues this year are Kent, Cheshire West, West Sussex, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Cornwall, Slough, Calderdale and Torbay.