Councils told to raise school standards

EVERY council in the Westcountry has been ordered to come up with plans to improve standards in dozens of failing primary schools.

One in 20 schools across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset is failing to hit the Government's target of at least 55 per cent of pupils reaching Level 4 in both English and maths national curriculum tests.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls announced yesterday that he expects all local authorities to draw up an action plan by the end of March.

He said he would not "stand by" while children were forced to go to schools where results are "persistently low".

Action could include good primaries effectively taking over the running of struggling schools or sending in so-called super-heads to turn things around.

Nine of the 230 Cornish primary schools failed to reach the 55 per cent target this year, and at both St Winnow CofE School, Lostwithiel, and Tregolls School, Truro, just 29 per cent of pupils achieved required levels in English and maths.

Of Devon's 312 schools, 15 were below the 55 per cent threshold. At Langtree School, North Devon, just a quarter of youngsters made the grade.

In Plymouth, five of the city's 70 missed the target, in Torbay the figure was four out of 34 and in Somerset eight in 182.

The Westcountry councils are to receive £10 million to fund one-to-one tuition for pupils with literacy and numeracy.

Mr Balls said: "In the last decade we have seen a transformation in primary standards.

"Many schools have been turned around against the odds by a relentless focus on the 3Rs.

"But we must maintain our focus to make sure that every child is given the best start in life.

"Every parent wants their child to go to a good school where they can reach their full potential.

"We know primary education is vital in setting up children for success later in life and I will not stand by while any child goes to a school where results are persistently low."

He said it was now up to Westcountry councils to ensure all schools in the region start making progress.

The plans have echoes of the controversial National Challenge scheme for secondary schools.

That initiative, announced around two years ago, focused on around 600 schools across England which had fewer than 30 per cent of pupils achieving five A*-C grades at GCSE, including English and maths.

Schools were told they faced closure, or being turned into an academy, if they did not improve and were given funding to help them do so. Teachers and unions attacked the initiative, claiming it vilified schools unnecessarily.

Earlier this week, Mr Balls announced 10 Devon schools are to be rebuilt or have a major facelift as part of a major Government investment of £160 million.