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Schools get exam ultimatum
SEVEN schools have been threatened with closure by the Government unless their GCSE results improve.
By 2011, every secondary school in England must have at least 30 per cent of its pupils achieving five A* to C grades at GCSE, including English and maths.
Those which fail to raise standards will be shut down and replaced by new schools run by a nearby successful school and a university or business.
The ultimatum was made by Secretary of State for Schools Ed Balls when he launched the National Challenge on June 10.
Last year, 638 schools in England failed to reach the 30-per-cent target.
In Lewisham borough this affects Crofton School in Manwood Road, Brockley; Haberdashers' Aske's Knights Academy in Launcelot Road, Downham, and Catford High School in Bellingham Road.
A Lewisham Council spokesman said: "We anticipate marked improvements in the coming years."
Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys in Hutchins Road, Thamesmead; Kidbrooke School in Corelli Road; Eltham Green Specialist Sports College in Middle Park
Avenue, and Abbey Wood School in Federation Road are all under threat in Greenwich.
Leader of Greenwich Council Councillor Chris Roberts said: "Our only request would be for stronger powers for local councils to intervene earlier where we can see a school is at risk of failing to meet minimum standards.
11:15am Tuesday 17th June 2008
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CommentPosted by: R B Janes, Abbey Wood on 3:13pm Tue 24 Jun 08
Woolwich Polytechnic is not going to be closed down. It is not a failing school – it is successful and is highly regarded by Parents and students and achieves high contextual value added (CVA) scores (as did the other three Greenwich schools on the list). The year group that did score below the 30% threshold had a number of significant problems - despite this, they made magnificent progress of which they can rightly feel proud.
A recent independent inspection of Woolwich Polytechnic school made the following comment:
“The school’s leadership is outstanding. It has demonstrated this in managing a rapid growth in numbers whilst ensuring that the rate of progress for raising achievement and standards has been spectacular, particularly in 2006-2007”
As Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families said in the TES on 13 June 2008, regarding the 638 schools on the list:
“this is not about failing schools. There are a large number of these schools that are high-achieving, successful schools. We think about a third of these schools are low-risk schools with high CVA”.
Bob Janes
Chair of Governors,
Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys
Woolwich Polytechnic is not going to be closed down. It is not a failing school – it is successful and is highly regarded by Parents and students and achieves high contextual value added (CVA) scores (as did the other three Greenwich schools on the list). The year group that did score below the 30% threshold had a number of significant problems - despite this, they made magnificent progress of which they can rightly feel proud.
A recent independent inspection of Woolwich Polytechnic school made the following comment:
“The school’s leadership is outstanding. It has demonstrated this in managing a rapid growth in numbers whilst ensuring that the rate of progress for raising achievement and standards has been spectacular, particularly in 2006-2007”
As Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families said in the TES on 13 June 2008, regarding the 638 schools on the list:
“this is not about failing schools. There are a large number of these schools that are high-achieving, successful schools. We think about a third of these schools are low-risk schools with high CVA”.
Bob Janes
Chair of Governors,
Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys
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