Clause 54 - Power of lea to provide for governing body to consist of interim executive members
Education Bill
4:30 pm
Mr Stephen Timms (Minister of State (School Standards), Department for Education and Skills; East Ham, Labour)
Clauses 51 to 54 have two basic objectives—to allow more rapid intervention by overcoming delays in the original mechanism and, as mentioned by the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough, to increase the focus on schools with serious weaknesses. Local education authorities could intervene previously, but under these powers the Secretary of State will be able to intervene if schools have serious weaknesses and special measures are required.
The number of schools needing such measures has significantly fallen: 303 at the end of last year compared with 515 in 1997. The process of turning a school round is also faster now than when we first started, so we can focus more attention on the next tier of schools—those with difficulties but are not actually failing. That is the rationale behind the proposed changes. The hon. Gentleman asked about the number of problem schools. About 500 schools have serious weaknesses, so they fall within the scope of the Bill.