National Challenge threatens failing schools with closure

Children's secretary Ed Balls has launched National Challenge to help local authorities and schools improve GCSE results at the 638 schools where fewer than 30 per cent of pupils get five GCSE passes including maths and English.

Schools will be expected to improve significantly by 2011, or face closure. Some failing schools could be turned into academies if they miss targets.

Work to turn around these schools is expected to start immediately, and local authorities will have to draw up plans of how they intend to improve by the end of this term.

The failing schools will be asked to predict how much exam results will improve in 2008, 2009 and 2010. They will also have to assess whether or not they are at high risk of missing the 2011 targets.

Despite tough targets, Balls will emphasise that National Challenge is about offering extra support and funding, not punishing schools in difficult circumstances. School leaders will be offered extra training and continuing professional development as part of the strategy.

However, Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "If Ed Balls is to provide meaningful support to the 638 secondary schools he has identified, he has to lift the threat of school closure for failing to meet arbitrary targets."

"No head teacher or teacher mindful of their career will join a National Challenge school if they think it will be closed and turned into an academy in the following year."