EXTRA FUNDING WILL HELP SUTTON HIGH SPORTS COLLEGE TRANSFORM THEIR RESULTS

Shaun Woodward MP for St Helens South has today welcomed news that Sutton High Sports College will get a share of £400 million to improve their results over the next three years.

The new funding is part of ‘National Challenge’, which will give extra support and investment to help the 638 schools nationally where less than 30% of pupils get five or more good GCSEs including English and Maths above that target by 2011.

Sutton High Sports College will be part of the National Challenge programme: Working with school governing bodies, St Helens local authority has been asked to revise their improvement plans for each of these schools by the end of the summer term.

Many National Challenge schools are already improving and on the right path to success such as Sutton High Sports College, while some will need greater investment and change – such as becoming an academy or trust school – to transform their results.

Shaun Woodward Labour MP for St Helens South, said:

"It is of course important to recognise school standards across St Helens have risen over the last ten years thanks to Labour Government investment in Education.

“There are some schools that are struggling to meet national standards however it should be recognised that Sutton High is Improving and last years results particularly in English where the school had there best results ever demonstrate this and is a credit to the pupils and teachers.
“However we must continue to seek improvements and I’m pleased that Sutton High Sports College will get extra investment and support to help them get above the 30 per cent target over the next three years. I want to see this extra Government investment help transform their results.

“Schools that aren’t making progress and are stuck with very low results will need even more support - that that may include linking up with high performing schools nearby, bringing in a university or business sponsor or becoming an academy. But it is right that improvement plans are drawn up with the engagement of governing bodies, teachers, heads and parents.”

ENDS

Notes for editors

• In 1997 there were 1,610 schools below this 30% minimum standard; today there are 638 and National Challenge sets out how we will reduce this number to zero.

• National Challenge will focus £400 million of extra investment - a doubling of National Challenge funding previously announced in the Budget - and tailored support to get the remaining 638 schools above the 30% target.

• The Children’s Plan sets out that by 2020 at least 90% of children will achieve the equivalent of five higher level GCSEs (A*-C) by age 19. National Challenge is an important step on the way towards this – to meet the goal that in every secondary school, at least 30% of its pupils will achieve five good GCSEs including English and maths by 2011.

• 134 local authorities in England have at least one National Challenge school and have been asked to draw up individual improvement plans for each National Challenge school by the end of the summer term. The plans must contain realistic expectations of how school exam results will improve in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and assessments of whether their schools are high, medium or low risk of meeting the 2011 goal.

• By 2011, every school should be above the threshold of at least 30% 5+ higher level GCSEs including English and maths. Our expectation is that those that are stuck below the target will either close or be replaced by an Academy or National Challenge Trust.

• The extra funding could mean that up to 70 National Challenge schools could be converted into Academies over and above existing plans.

• More one-to-one tuition and study support in English and maths for children in National Challenge schools; plus extra support from National Strategies’ experts for weak English and maths departments.

• Additional support for senior leaders in schools to support maths and science departments.

• The Government will legislate to take new powers to direct local authorities to issue a warning notice where there is clear cause for concern – such as exam results getting worse; to appoint Interim Executive Boards where the school is under a warning notice; and to require a local authority to take on advisory services where there are large numbers of schools with unacceptably low standards.