Ask the Experts: Helping to improve failing academies

Of the 19 secondary schools in our area, 18 are academies. The five worst performing schools we need to improve are all academies. They say they don't report to us and that we should go away and leave them alone.

Ofsted rates councils' performance in supporting schools to improve. There is little option other than a very straightforward conversation with each of the schools. But what leverage can we bring to that discussion?

First, persistent under-performance will see the governors lose control because a change of status will be forced upon them. No head teacher wants that. Second, the local authority notifying that efforts to engage the school in an improvement journey have been rebuked will likely result in an inspection - and statutory intervention when they see just how poor the arrangements are for the pupils.

The authority could offer to host a "learning set" with those five schools where they can be part of a group and not feel so picked off individually.

But the bottom line is this: our children get one chance and no one's hubris should be allowed to keep them from quality learning.

Peter Lewis is a freelance providing interim local authority children's services leadership, and a former DCS in Haringey

Email questions, marked "Experts", to cypnow@markallengroup.com