§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on progress at each of the Fresh Start schools. [121970]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisFresh Start policy is in its infancy—only 15 schools have undergone a fresh start to date, 11 secondary and four primary. Three opened in September 1998, eight in September 1999, two in January 2000, one in April 2000 and one in May 2000.
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Former school name New school name Phase LEA area September 1998 Blakelaw School Firfield Community School Secondary Newcastle Earl Marshal School Fir Vale School Secondary Sheffield The King's CE School Regis County Secondry Secondary Wolverhampton September 1999 The Marina High School East Brighton College of Media Arts Secondary Brighton George Orwell School Islington Arts and Media Secondary Islington Perronet Thomson School Kingswood High School Secondary Kingston Upon Hull Hatcham Wood School Telegraph Hill Secondary Lewisham Watermeads High School Bishopsford Community School Secondary Merton Alderman Derbyshire School River Leen School Secondary Nottingham City New College News Park Community College Secondary Leicester City Park View Academy Langham School Secondary Haringey January 2000 Kevington Primary School Manor Oak Primary Primary Bromley Heathcote County Primary The Richard Heathcote Community Primary Primary Staffordshire April/May 2000 Christ Church CEVC Primary New Christ Church CE VC Primary Primary Reading Grove Vale Primary Goose Green Primary Primary Southwark These schools all present major challenges, and we are working with them to support them and learn from the early experiences of the process. All currently have a substantive or acting headteacher in place and Ofsted is monitoring the schools progress on a termly basis. There are no performance data on the schools that fresh started since September 1999 but there are early signs of improvement in the first three schools. Exam results are up and truancy down—to a marked degree.
5+A*-G GCSEs Unauthorised absence School/Year 1997 1999 1997 1999 Firvale 57 80 6.9 3.2 Firfield Community School 43 74 12.6 3.3 The King's School 81 91 13.2 8.5