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| Primary school crackdown set out | Primary school crackdown set out |
| (22 minutes later) | |
| Poor performing primary schools in England could be forced to work closely with more successful ones in a crackdown on standards. | Poor performing primary schools in England could be forced to work closely with more successful ones in a crackdown on standards. |
| Local authorities are being told to draw up action plans for 1,400 schools where fewer than 55% of pupils reach required levels in English and maths. | Local authorities are being told to draw up action plans for 1,400 schools where fewer than 55% of pupils reach required levels in English and maths. |
| Children's Secretary Ed Balls has also written to 12 local councils with the highest proportion of troubled schools. | Children's Secretary Ed Balls has also written to 12 local councils with the highest proportion of troubled schools. |
| But he has refused to say which areas are being ear-marked for special help. | But he has refused to say which areas are being ear-marked for special help. |
| It's not an excuse to say most of our primary schools are doing really well, but of course you wouldn't expect that primaries on that side of town to be so good Ed Balls | It's not an excuse to say most of our primary schools are doing really well, but of course you wouldn't expect that primaries on that side of town to be so good Ed Balls |
| This unwillingness to identify which local authority areas are being targeted for special help comes after the Secretary of State faced criticism for allowing struggling secondary schools to be "named and shamed" in the National Challenge programme last year. | This unwillingness to identify which local authority areas are being targeted for special help comes after the Secretary of State faced criticism for allowing struggling secondary schools to be "named and shamed" in the National Challenge programme last year. |
| That highly controversial move threatened more than 600 schools that fell below a GCSE threshold with takeover or closure if they failed to improve. | That highly controversial move threatened more than 600 schools that fell below a GCSE threshold with takeover or closure if they failed to improve. |
| Mr Balls said that primary schools that had been consistently below the "floor target" for English and maths results for four years or more, should be targeted for special help. | Mr Balls said that primary schools that had been consistently below the "floor target" for English and maths results for four years or more, should be targeted for special help. |
| "It's not an excuse to say most of our primary schools are doing really well but of course you wouldn't expect that primaries on that side of town to be so good," he said. | "It's not an excuse to say most of our primary schools are doing really well but of course you wouldn't expect that primaries on that side of town to be so good," he said. |
| He wanted to provide a "rocket-boost" to standards by asking local councils to identify which schools could benefit from help from the "great and good" schools nearby. | He wanted to provide a "rocket-boost" to standards by asking local councils to identify which schools could benefit from help from the "great and good" schools nearby. |
| 'Gripping agenda' | 'Gripping agenda' |
| These schools would be pre-accredited as schools in a position to offer help to others in difficulties and local authorities would be encouraged to use their power to force schools to "federate". | These schools would be pre-accredited as schools in a position to offer help to others in difficulties and local authorities would be encouraged to use their power to force schools to "federate". |
| All schools should have access to specialist teachers in English, maths and modern languages. But these could be shared between schools that were working closer together, Mr Balls added. | All schools should have access to specialist teachers in English, maths and modern languages. But these could be shared between schools that were working closer together, Mr Balls added. |
| Mr Balls wants an action plan from the 12 local authorities with the most problems by February next year. Action plans would be expected from all local councils by March. | Mr Balls wants an action plan from the 12 local authorities with the most problems by February next year. Action plans would be expected from all local councils by March. |
| He added: "If we feel that local authorities are not gripping the agenda then sanctions were something that we could look at as well." | He added: "If we feel that local authorities are not gripping the agenda then sanctions were something that we could look at as well." |
| These might include sending advisers from the Department for Children, Schools and Families into local authorities and encouraging more federations between schools. | These might include sending advisers from the Department for Children, Schools and Families into local authorities and encouraging more federations between schools. |
| Falling standards | Falling standards |
| Federating has also been identified as a means of saving money. Mr Balls wants schools to save up to £750m by sharing resources, management teams and through smarter procurement. | Federating has also been identified as a means of saving money. Mr Balls wants schools to save up to £750m by sharing resources, management teams and through smarter procurement. |
| The plans are part of the department's efforts to help schools make savings against the backdrop of over-stretched public finances. | |
| This week's primary school league tables showed how England's schools were getting worse. | This week's primary school league tables showed how England's schools were getting worse. |
| Nationally, the average attainment in both English and maths is 72% - down one percentage point on last year, against a target of 78% by 2011. | Nationally, the average attainment in both English and maths is 72% - down one percentage point on last year, against a target of 78% by 2011. |