National Challenge, the improvement scheme for schools where less than 30 per cent of pupils get good GCSEs, was unpopular with teaching professionals from the start. But recent GCSE results show almost 200 schools have risen out of the underperforming bracket since the initiative was launched last June.
When the scheme started, Children's Secretary Ed Balls gave schools a number of improvement options, one of which was the opportunity to adopt trust school status.
So the National Challenge Trust programme started with just three schools in September 2008. Then last week, Balls announced plans to expand the scheme to 70 more, each to receive between £750,000 and £1m over the next three years.
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