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ITN
Ultimatum for 'failing' schools
Ultimatum for 'failing' schools
An ultimatum has been issued to secondary schools in England which aren't making the grade.The poorest-performing schools have been told to improve or face closure, merger or transformation into independent academies.Local authorities will be told in the coming week that they have until the start of the summer holidays - around 50 days - to produce detailed action plans to turn round the 638 secondary schools which are failing to reach minimum standards for GCSE passes.Under the National Challenge plan, the schools will have until 2011 the target of 30 per cent or more pupils getting at least five GCSEs at grade C or above or face "formal intervention", said the Department for Children, Schools and Families.Children's Secretary Ed Balls will offer new support and resources for "failing" schools, which will also receive more help from successful school leaders.Ten of the most deprived local authorities, which have 58 of the 638 National Challenge schools between them, will also take part in a £200,000 Extra Mile scheme.Extra Mile will focus on 20 schools - two in each area - each of which will be linked with a partner school which has successfully raised aspirations.Mr Balls said: "Schools have improved massively since 1997. But there are still too many schools where under a third of pupils get five good GCSEs including English and maths."With all the support on offer for parents and schools, no child is on a pre-determined path to low results - whatever their background and wherever they go to school."Each of these schools faces different challenges in getting up to and over 30 per cent. That is why I am asking local authorities for a specific plan of action for each National Challenge school by the end of July, so that we can be confident that all of them will succeed."
ITN | June 8, 2008
