Gove to Turn Sub-Standard Primary Schools into Academies

Thursday 16th June 2011

At this week’sNational Colleges Annual Leadership Conference Michael Gove is expected to announce plans to convert failing primary schools into stat funded academies. His latest plans are to put 200 of the weakest primary schools in England under new management by the start of the new school year. The plans will target the primary schools that have fallen below the standards set by the government. If less than 60% of the pupils reach a basic level in English or Maths by the age of 11, or who don’t reach the average rate of progress between the ages of seven and 11, in the last five years, the school will transformed into an independent state school with the leadership of a new private sponsor such as a charity, faith group, entrepreneur, or a school chain.

The Telegraph today published a quote from Mr Gove saying: “We should no longer tolerate a system in which so many pupils leave primary school without a good grasp of English and maths, and leave secondary school without five good GCSEs. We want all parents to have a choice of good local schools.”

Michael Gove will be outlining his plans for primary schools to head teachers today in Birmingham.