Minister attacks schools that could do better

CHILDREN'S Secretary Ed Balls today declared war on hundreds of "coasting" state schools.

Headteachers and governors face the sack in an effort to improve secondary schools in suburbs where results are satisfactory, or even good, but "should be better".

Mr Balls has ordered councils to draw up a hit list of schools where "complacent" attitudes let pupils down. Grammar schools could find themselves under scrutiny in the drive.

The announcement marks a major shift in the Government's approach, from focusing on failing schools to those with decent results but which have not improved for years.

Officials said one in every seven children does not make enough progress between the ages of 11 and 14.

Ofsted has warned that half of England's secondary schools are failing to provide an education that is any more than "satisfactory". Mr Balls said: "Coasting schools could and should be doing better. They are schools that get results which can look acceptable or even good, but which are not fulfilling the potential of their pupils."

He said councils must identify schools which need to improve by the end of January. Schools will face action if they display any features of "coasting":

●Children who do well in primary school fail to keep up at GCSE.

●Schools have "complacent" leadership and "relatively poor quality" heads of English and maths departments.

●Children from the poorest homes fall far behind their classmates.

The initiative raised the prospect that grammar schools with a record of good results could be targeted. Many have low "value-added" scores - which measure how far a school helps pupils make progress. But headteachers warned that "naming and shaming" would not raise standards.