To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to seek to ensure that schools which did not meet the Government's GCSE targets in 2011 do so in future years.

Sponsored academies are seen as the central solution for dealing with serious, long-term underperformance in all schools.

When the 2011 secondary school performance tables containing data fully checked and agreed by schools are published in January, we will be looking at those schools that fall below the floor standard and, working with the school and their LA, we will seek to achieve the best possible solution to improve their performance. In most cases that solution will be to secure an academy sponsor to provide the necessary support and challenge for the school.