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| Tories plan primary 'academies' | Tories plan primary 'academies' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A Tory government would give primary schools in England more control over the way they are run - in a similar way to city academies, the party has said. | A Tory government would give primary schools in England more control over the way they are run - in a similar way to city academies, the party has said. |
| Education spokesman Michael Gove wants successful primaries to be given freedom from council control and power over curriculum, budget and hours. | Education spokesman Michael Gove wants successful primaries to be given freedom from council control and power over curriculum, budget and hours. |
| He told the BBC the academies system needed to be extended to primary schools to help disadvantaged students. | |
| Ministers described the proposals as "risky" and "ill-thought through". | Ministers described the proposals as "risky" and "ill-thought through". |
| We need reform to begin almost from day one Michael Gove, Tory education spokesman | We need reform to begin almost from day one Michael Gove, Tory education spokesman |
| The Conservatives announced last year that they would allow the 400 top performing state secondary schools in England to become independent but state-funded academies free from government control. | The Conservatives announced last year that they would allow the 400 top performing state secondary schools in England to become independent but state-funded academies free from government control. |
| Ahead of the Conservative's Spring Forum in Cheltenham this weekend, Mr Gove said: "Academy freedoms for secondary schools have already helped thousands of disadvantaged children by driving up standards in the state sector. | Ahead of the Conservative's Spring Forum in Cheltenham this weekend, Mr Gove said: "Academy freedoms for secondary schools have already helped thousands of disadvantaged children by driving up standards in the state sector. |
| He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "One of the big problems we have in education at the moment is that children from poorer background are falling further and further behind children from more fortunate backgrounds. | He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "One of the big problems we have in education at the moment is that children from poorer background are falling further and further behind children from more fortunate backgrounds. |
| "And they start falling behind right at the very moment they start their education. So we need reform to begin almost from day one they cross the threshold of the primary school. | "And they start falling behind right at the very moment they start their education. So we need reform to begin almost from day one they cross the threshold of the primary school. |
| "We need to do everything possible to ensure the DNA of the academy programme, which has been successful in driving up standards, is transferred to the very beginning of schooling." | "We need to do everything possible to ensure the DNA of the academy programme, which has been successful in driving up standards, is transferred to the very beginning of schooling." |
| 'Letting children down' | 'Letting children down' |
| Mr Gove also announced his party would allow community groups, charities, philanthropists and education federations to set up new primary schools. | Mr Gove also announced his party would allow community groups, charities, philanthropists and education federations to set up new primary schools. |
| Local authority-run schools with consistently poor results would also be taken over by organisations behind successful academy schools - such as the ARK charity, the Mercers Company and the Harris Federation, he said. | Local authority-run schools with consistently poor results would also be taken over by organisations behind successful academy schools - such as the ARK charity, the Mercers Company and the Harris Federation, he said. |
| All the Tories seem to care about is primary schools going it alone and opting out of the national curriculum in an unregulated free market experiment Jim KnightSchools minister | All the Tories seem to care about is primary schools going it alone and opting out of the national curriculum in an unregulated free market experiment Jim KnightSchools minister |
| Mr Gove accused the government of letting children down. He highlighted "official figures" that show four out of 10 children leave primary school in England unable to read, write and add up. | Mr Gove accused the government of letting children down. He highlighted "official figures" that show four out of 10 children leave primary school in England unable to read, write and add up. |
| He also said 34,000 11-year-olds had a reading age below that expected of a six-year-old. | He also said 34,000 11-year-olds had a reading age below that expected of a six-year-old. |
| But schools Minister Jim Knight condemned the Tory plans. | But schools Minister Jim Knight condemned the Tory plans. |
| "This announcement is risky, ill-thought through and will send a chill down the spines of parents and teachers around the country," he said. | "This announcement is risky, ill-thought through and will send a chill down the spines of parents and teachers around the country," he said. |
| "Our priority in primary education is to get schools working together to make budgets go further, improve leadership and extend specialist teaching so that all children master the basics and no child falls behind. | "Our priority in primary education is to get schools working together to make budgets go further, improve leadership and extend specialist teaching so that all children master the basics and no child falls behind. |
| Academies should not be treated as a "cure-all" education charities say | Academies should not be treated as a "cure-all" education charities say |
| "All the Tories seem to care about is primary schools going it alone and opting out of the national curriculum in an unregulated free market experiment." | "All the Tories seem to care about is primary schools going it alone and opting out of the national curriculum in an unregulated free market experiment." |
| Academies worked to raise standards at some secondary schools, he said, but underperforming small primary schools needed co-operation not independence. | Academies worked to raise standards at some secondary schools, he said, but underperforming small primary schools needed co-operation not independence. |
| A study for the Sutton Trust education charity concluded last year that academies should not be treated as a "cure-all" for England's educational problems because their performance varied widely. | A study for the Sutton Trust education charity concluded last year that academies should not be treated as a "cure-all" for England's educational problems because their performance varied widely. |
| The report on the state-funded privately run schools pointed out 72% still did not meet government benchmarks. | The report on the state-funded privately run schools pointed out 72% still did not meet government benchmarks. |
| It also suggested rises in achievement corresponded to falls in the proportion of pupils from deprived backgrounds. | It also suggested rises in achievement corresponded to falls in the proportion of pupils from deprived backgrounds. |