It is understood officials from the DfE will take control in Birmingham if its children’s services department remains “inadequate” following an Ofsted inspection due to be carried out shortly.
The department has been rated inadequate by Ofsted since 2009 and has been in the spotlight over child protection scandals including the case of two-year-old Keanu Williams, who was beaten to death by his mother in 2011, and seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq, who starved to death in 2008.
A DfE spokesman said: "We have warned Birmingham that unless Ofsted identifies signs of improvement in its next inspection, we will take further action.”
News of the warning follows a speech on Tuesday by Education Secretary Michael Gove in which he outlined his intention to intervene at councils where children’s services are failing.
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