A Leading Edge school - is that different to a Beacon then? Another year, another initiative, and Beacons are so 2002. There are currently 1,150 Beacon schools that gain extra resources to help them show others how good they are. But they weren't doing it well enough and that scheme will finish in 2005. It is being replaced by around 300 Leading Edge schools - the scheme was going to be called Advanced Specialist Schools but mature reflection from secretary of state Charles Clarke suggested that wasn't really appropriate for this "raise all boats" strategy.
What does it involve? A bit of context first. The Government wants as many schools as possible to be "specialists" - schools that deliver the full national curriculum but have a special focus to develop a chosen subject area. This might be technology, language, sports, arts, science, business and enterprise or maths and computing. From September 2003 there will be 1,454 of them, meaning some 46 per cent of secondary pupils will be taught in specialist schools. In some places, for example Sheffield, all schools will be specialist.
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