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Drive to tackle weakest schools Drive to tackle weakest schools
(41 minutes later)
There is to be new legislation to meet the government's pledge to eliminate underperforming schools by 2011. There is to be new legislation to fulfil the government's pledge to eliminate weak schools by 2011.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown told MPs it was not fair to consign any child to a poor school. Prime Minister Gordon Brown told MPs it was unfair to consign any child to a poor school.
Setting out his legislative programme, he said an education bill would give parents the right to regular information on children's progress. Setting out his legislative plans, he said an education bill would also give parents the right to better information on their children's progress.
It would also make schools more accountable to parents and make the qualifications system independent. It would also make the qualification system independent and make schools more accountable to parents.
Mr Brown spoke in general terms, but his plans will relate only to England as education is a devolved matter. As usual Mr Brown spoke in general terms, but his plans will relate only to England as education is a devolved matter.
In the Budget in March, the Chancellor said £200m would be spent on the "National Challenge" programme, which aims for all schools to have no less than 30% of pupils getting five good GCSEs including maths and English. "It is unfair to consign any child to a poor school or even one that is coasting along without the ambition to do better.
Last year 638 did not meet this standard. Alistair Darling said in his Budget speech that by 2011, every school would be "an improving school". "So having legislated this year for education to 18 there will be a second education bill to support our plan to ensure that, by 2011, no school is underperforming," he said.
Action plans Accountability
The scheme will be based on the London Challenge, where struggling schools were given intensive help to improve. "There will be the first independent qualifications system to guarantee to parents the highest standards," Mr Brown added - providing the statutory footing for the new regulator, Ofqual.
Officials say local authorities will be expected to have drawn up an action plan for any under-performing schools by the summer. Every single child - whatever their background and wherever they go to school - deserves an excellent education and the chance to reach their full potential Ed BallsSchools Secretary "There will be more power for parents to receive regular information on their children's progress and, as we expand academies, reform to strengthen the accountability of schools to parents, giving them a bigger say on how to raise standards and whether new schools are needed in an area."
This will involve a range of options including:
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  • Sending in experts to help head teachers
  • Targeted support to schools for English and maths
  • Federation arrangements between schools
  • Converting low-performing schools into academies
  • Closing schools
 The Department for Children, Schools and Families said that central to the bill would be new powers for the schools secretary to ensure local authorities intervene early to address underperforming schools where there is cause for concern.
Head teachers' leaders welcomed the extra funding, but said there were not 638 failing schools; there were 638 schools below the government's ever increasing floor target. This is something they already have the power to do - the concern in Whitehall is that it is not always exercised at an early enough stage.
Many of these were above average, given the social context in which they were operating. Schools Secretary Ed Balls said: "Every single child - whatever their background and wherever they go to school - deserves an excellent education and the chance to reach their full potential.
"That is why I will ensure that local authorities use their existing powers to intervene early to help seriously underperforming schools improve, where there is clear cause for concern.
"And I am also determined to give local areas the funding and support they need to break ingrained cycles of deprivation and low attainment. Pupils and parents deserve no less."
Parental involvement
Other elements will reform pupil referral units for those who are excluded from mainstream schools, and provide better support for vulnerable children.
There will be a White Paper exploring different ways of providing such alternative education.
Parents will get a bigger say on how to raise standards and whether new schools are needed in an area.
Pupils who are falling behind will receive targeted support to help them keep up, including one to one tuition.
There is also going to be a consultation on how to engage parents better in their children's schools and learning and to provide them with better information.
Research published only last week by the department said however that 86% of parents already felt their child's school provided clear information on the progress they were making.
Half (51%) felt "very involved" in their child's school life - up from 29% in 2001.