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| England's 200 worst-performing primaries to be made academies | England's 200 worst-performing primaries to be made academies |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| By Katherine Sellgren BBC News education reporter | |
| Two hundred of England's worst-performing primary schools will be closed next year and re-opened as academies, the government is to say. | Two hundred of England's worst-performing primary schools will be closed next year and re-opened as academies, the government is to say. |
| Education Secretary Michael Gove says this will force schools which have failed to get their pupils to expected levels in maths and English to improve. | Education Secretary Michael Gove says this will force schools which have failed to get their pupils to expected levels in maths and English to improve. |
| The new academies, taken out of local authority control, will be run by more successful local schools. | The new academies, taken out of local authority control, will be run by more successful local schools. |
| Another 500 will be told they have three years to improve their standards. | Another 500 will be told they have three years to improve their standards. |
| On Wednesday it was revealed Mr Gove wants secondary schools to secure five good GCSEs for at least 50% of pupils. | On Wednesday it was revealed Mr Gove wants secondary schools to secure five good GCSEs for at least 50% of pupils. |
| At present a school is assessed as under-performing if fewer than 35% of pupils get five GCSEs at grades A* to C, including maths and English. | At present a school is assessed as under-performing if fewer than 35% of pupils get five GCSEs at grades A* to C, including maths and English. |
| Focus on primary | Focus on primary |
| In an address to the annual conference of the National College for School Leadership in Birmingham, Mr Gove is expected to say there is no excuse for failure. | In an address to the annual conference of the National College for School Leadership in Birmingham, Mr Gove is expected to say there is no excuse for failure. |
| The poorest-performing 200 schools will include those which have failed for five years to meet targets for 11-year-olds in maths and English. | The poorest-performing 200 schools will include those which have failed for five years to meet targets for 11-year-olds in maths and English. |
| Mr Gove told the BBC it was time to turn the focus on primary schools. | Mr Gove told the BBC it was time to turn the focus on primary schools. |
| "We can't have a situation where young children are arriving at the age of 11 at secondary schools not secure in English and mathematics. | "We can't have a situation where young children are arriving at the age of 11 at secondary schools not secure in English and mathematics. |
| "That's why we need rapid action to deal with the very worst primary schools." | "That's why we need rapid action to deal with the very worst primary schools." |
| He said academy status was "a tried and tested way" of getting the right head teacher in place to turn a school around. | He said academy status was "a tried and tested way" of getting the right head teacher in place to turn a school around. |
| "What we're seeing through the academy movement is a grassroots change in the way that education is operating in this country - heads are in charge not politicians." | "What we're seeing through the academy movement is a grassroots change in the way that education is operating in this country - heads are in charge not politicians." |
| He added that in some cases, a change of staff may be necessary. | He added that in some cases, a change of staff may be necessary. |
| "Sometimes yes, the head teacher will go. But in other circumstances it will be the case that the staff will remain the same, but the leadership that's provided by another school will help those who've been struggling for far to long to improve. | "Sometimes yes, the head teacher will go. But in other circumstances it will be the case that the staff will remain the same, but the leadership that's provided by another school will help those who've been struggling for far to long to improve. |
| "It's not intended to be anything other than a helping hand upwards, for the staff and the school, but above all for the children, who have to be our first concern. | |
| "Above all it comes down to a change of attitude and direction. And above all it comes down to a determination to ensure that instead of having a monopoly organisation, a team of bureaucrats who are not driving forward an improvement in standards, what you do is empower teachers - and above all heads - to give those schools that haven't had proper leadership, the chance to improve." | |
| No 'quick fix' | No 'quick fix' |
| Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "If a school makes great progress with pupils from low starting points, it should be feted, not condemned," he said. | Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "If a school makes great progress with pupils from low starting points, it should be feted, not condemned," he said. |
| "But, yes, if a school remains far below the floor standards for years, with no sign of improvement, and if it has had good quality support, then of course we need a radical solution." | "But, yes, if a school remains far below the floor standards for years, with no sign of improvement, and if it has had good quality support, then of course we need a radical solution." |
| Tony Draper is head of a primary school in Milton Keynes which has not reached targets in the past, and is also on the National Executive of the National Association of Head Teachers. | Tony Draper is head of a primary school in Milton Keynes which has not reached targets in the past, and is also on the National Executive of the National Association of Head Teachers. |
| He told the BBC's Today programme that if his school was turned into an academy then that would have a negative effect. | He told the BBC's Today programme that if his school was turned into an academy then that would have a negative effect. |
| "I believe strongly that it's not a silver bullet, it's not a default response to everything," he said. "A school's got to be measured on a broad range of progress and not just crude statistics on attainment. | "I believe strongly that it's not a silver bullet, it's not a default response to everything," he said. "A school's got to be measured on a broad range of progress and not just crude statistics on attainment. |
| "I accept that it may be a quick fix, but it might not be [providing] long-term sustainability. | "I accept that it may be a quick fix, but it might not be [providing] long-term sustainability. |
| "What we found in our school is that, with good support from the local authority, and working on the culture and the teaching and learning in the school, then you can make a difference." | "What we found in our school is that, with good support from the local authority, and working on the culture and the teaching and learning in the school, then you can make a difference." |