A letter from the watchdog to Poole Council, following visits between 29 June and 3 July this year, has called on the local authority to tackle the underachievement of disadvantaged pupils "without delay".
Inspectors said that although results for the area's disadvantaged pupils are below the national average, there was no consistent drive to close the gap in achievement.
"Poor challenge by the local authority over time has led to a slow pace of improvement in Poole's primary and secondary schools," the letter, which was sent to director of children's services Jan Thurgood, states.
"As a result, the outcomes for pupils at Key Stage 2 remain some of the lowest in the country and, from their starting points, pupils' progress is poor."
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