§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what criteria are used to determine whether a school is failing; how many failing schools have been given a fresh start; what proportion of all failing schools this represents; and how many of those schools given a fresh start no longer meet the criteria for a failing school. [74774]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisSchools are inspected by Ofsted in accordance with the published "Framework for Inspection". Those which are judged to be failing or likely to fail to provide an acceptable standard of education are deemed to require special measures. Local Authorities adopt a wide range of strategies to improve the education of children attending schools in special measures. In two cases, schools have formally closed and a new Fresh Start school has been opened on the same site. Three schools have had Fresh Starts approved to start from this September and a further four have been submitted for approval. Taken together, these 437W represent just under 2 per cent. of the number of schools currently judged to be failing. New schools are not subject to special measures.