§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which grant-maintained schools have been identified in Office for Standards in Education inspection reports as(a) having serious weaknesses and (b) being in need of special measures; and in each case what action has been taken. [33746]
§ Mr. Robin SquireThe following nine grant-maintained schools in England have been identified by Her Majesty's chief inspector as being in need of special measures:
- Ashton St. Peter's school, Bedfordshire
- Kelsey Park school, Bromley
- Our Lady of Fatima high school, Liverpool
- St. Ann's Roman Catholic primary school, Sheffield
- St. Hugh's school, Lincolnshire
- St. Margaret's special school, Bedfordshire
- Southfields school, Kent
- Stratford school, Newham
- Upbury Manor school, Kent
All of these schools have submitted satisfactory action plans to address the weaknesses identified by HMCI, except St. Margaret's, whose plan is not due to be submitted to the Secretary of State until July. All GM schools are now offered help from the Funding Agency for Schools school improvement unit.
In addition, the Secretary of State has appointed an additional governor at Kelsey Park school and one at St. Hugh's school, and at Stratford school she restructured the governing body by the appointment of five governors.
Stratford school was declared by HMCI in December 1995 to be no longer in need of special measures. Four of the other GM schools have now also received a visit from Ofsted to monitor their progress, and all of these have shown signs of improvement.
Schools having serious weaknesses are not specifically identified as such by registered inspectors.