12/11/2012

Weakest Primary Schools To Be Made Academies

A new plan to improve the UK’s weakest primary schools by turning them into academies will be unveiled by the prime minister.

David Cameron will announce that by the end of next year he wants the 400 weakest schools to be paired with sponsors to turn them into academies as part of coalition efforts to improve education in the poorest-performing schools.

At a special cabinet meeting at an academy later on Monday Cameron will say: "The driving mission for this government is to build an aspiration nation, where we unlock and unleash the promise in all our people. A first-class education system is absolutely central to that vision.

"We have seen some excellent progress with our reforms, including turning 200 of the worst performing primary schools into sponsored academies, and opening more academies in the last two years than the previous government opened in a decade.

"Time and time again we have seen how academies, with their freedom to innovate, inspire and raise standards are fuelling aspirations and helping to spread success. So now we want to go further, faster, with 400 more under-performing primary schools paired up with a sponsor and either open or well on their way to becoming an academy by the end of next year.

"It is simply not good enough that some children are left to struggle in failing schools, when they could be given the chance to shine."

(H)


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