We'll take over failing academies, vows Balls

Click here for London GCSE and A-level league tables (PDF)

Mr Balls was speaking as the Evening Standard's league tables revealed nearly 43,000 children are receiving a second-rate education in London's failing schools.

Gordon Brown has said no state school should have fewer than 30 per cent of pupils who achieve at least five C grades in subjects including maths and English. Ministers have promised to eradicate such failure by 2011, through intervening in struggling schools, turning them into privately run academies or even closing them down.

But today's tables showed some 43 London schools missed the key target, including 10 privately run, state-funded academies. Mr Balls said: "The one thing we won't tolerate is excuses.

"That attitude is failing pupils and letting communities down. If there is no local change, we will require local change. We will not tolerate that kind of excuses culture, which is still there in some schools."

Three of the failing schools in London were academies which had been open for at least five years when pupils sat their GCSEs last summer.

Academies were set up under Tony Blair to transform weak comprehensives by handing control to wealthy business figures and church groups.

But Mr Balls today gave notice that the former Prime Minister's favourite schools would receive no special treatment from him.

"We will not be softer on academies than other schools," he said. "Our expectations are not lower for academies, they are higher. We put a lot of investment in to make sure they deliver." He stressed that academies would take time to bring about improvements and that ministers were committed to opening 400 across England.

But Mr Balls continued: "In the case of academies we have the powers we need and we will use them if necessary."

He said these powers included taking over the running of an academy, sacking its headteacher and governors, who are appointed by the sponsor, and sending in an "interim executive board" of managers.

The Conservatives expressed alarm that Mr Balls appeared to be back-tracking on plans for more private sector involvement in academies.

Shadow school minister Nick Gibb said: "We know from previous interviews that Ed Balls is ideologically opposed to academies, and since becoming Children's Secretary he has sought to water down the programme. In many areas they have made a real difference to the life chances of some of the most deprived children so it is a great shame if he is back-tracking further on the Government's commitment to proper education reform."

Click here for London GCSE and A-level league tables (PDF)