FIVE of the region’s secondary schools have been added to an “improve or be axed” list after they revealed plunging GCSE results in new performance tables.
The schools – in Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton and Ellesmere Port – had less than 30% of pupils achieving five GCSEs no lower than grade C, including English and maths, last summer.
Falling below that benchmark means the schools will be shut down, or turned into a privately-sponsored “city academy” or trust school, if they fail to improve by 2011.
The closure threat – plus the labelling of such schools as “failing” by Gordon Brown – has been fiercely criticised by many headteachers, who warned it was shattering morale.
But, yesterday, Children’s Secretary Ed Balls defended his hardline approach – and accused heads who protested of believing local children were incapable of success.
In an interview with the Daily Post, Mr Balls insisted schools who were succeeding in driving up results, even in deprived areas, “understood what we were doing and why”.
And he added: “The schools which were really upset were the headteachers who said ‘Why can’t you leave us alone because this is what kids around here can achieve. Instead of labelling us as failing, celebrate our achievements’.
“My answer is: ‘Your achievements aren’t good enough, I don’t want excuses like that and other schools in tougher circumstances than you do it through great leadership – so get on and do it.”
Yesterday’s performance tables showed there are a total of 28 schools at risk of closure – down from 35 – in Liverpool (8), Knowsley (6), Wirral (4), Sefton (4), Cheshire (3), St Helens (1), Halton (1) and Warrington (1).
The five that fell below the 30% mark were Alsop High School, Liverpool (29%), Higher Side Community Comprehensive, Knowsley (19%), Bowring Community Sports College, Knowsley (28%), Savio Salesian College, Sefton (21%) and Ellesmere Port School of Performing Arts (27%).
All 28 schools, plus secondaries just above the threshold, will now be targeted with intensive support and extra money through the “National Challenge” programme.
Allocations announced yesterday included cash for Liverpool (£1.24m), Knowsley (£619,000), Cheshire (£604,000), Wirral (£592,000), Sefton (£406,500), Halton (£217,500), St Helens (£128,000) and Warrington. In the interview, Mr Balls said he was confident he would eliminate all under-performing schools by 2011 although 82 – including the five in Merseyside and North Cheshire – fell below the benchmark this year.
He said the list of poorer local authorities with the best improvements in GCSE results, including Knowsley and Halton, was firm evidence Labour was “closing the gap” in achievement.
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