To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the role of the local authorities is in identifying poorly performing schools.
Answered on
4 March 2016
Local authorities have a number of statutory powers they may use in maintained schools that are “eligible for intervention”. These powers are described in more detail in the Schools Causing Concern guidance, available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/469299/Schools_causing_concern_draft_guidance.pdf
Schools are “eligible for intervention” where they have been judged as inadequate by Ofsted, where they have failed to comply with a warning notice or where - following 2016 results – they fall within the definition of coasting. Local authorities have powers to give warning notices to maintained schools where they have concerns about unacceptable performance (e.g. where a school is below floor standards), where there has been a breakdown in leadership and governance, or the safety of pupils or staff may be being threatened.
We ran a public consultation during October to December 2015, which sought views on draft revisions to the Schools Causing Concern guidance in light of the Education and Adoption Bill. The consultation response and the revised Schools Causing Concern guidance will be published shortly.