Is the policy on schools causing concern working ?
Why do we need judgements that schools require special measures ?
What interventions are available to support schools causing concern ?
What is Fresh Start ?
How many Fresh Start schools are there ?
What is the Government doing to support Fresh Start schools ?
Is Fresh Start working ?

Is the policy on schools causing concern working ?

Yes. The number of schools requiring special measures has fallen. At the end of the spring term 2008 there were 254 schools in this category compared to 515 at the end of the 1997/98 academic year.  

Indeed since 1997 over 1,400 schools, requiring special measures, have been successfully turned around and a further 200 closed. 57 schools have been given a Fresh Start with a new school opening on the same site. However, as schools continue to fail, more needs to be done to identify and support schools which are in danger of slipping into special measures, to tackle severe failure and to secure continued improvement when schools come out of special measures.  

Why do we need judgements that schools require special measures ?
All children and young people are entitled to high quality education that meets their individual needs and we need to recognise and eliminate school failures to achieve this. Ofsted have at the heart of inspection a strongly held commitment that it should contribute to improvement and their analysis shows that when schools come out of special measures they have improved significantly and generally they continue to improve. In particular leadership is usually much stronger and the quality of teaching has improved. They estimate that around a quarter of a million children have received a better education because of the special measures policy. 

What interventions are available to support schools causing concern ?
There are a range of tailored interventions which can be used depending on the needs of the individual school.  The options may involve strenghening the leadership of a school or giving extra support to improve teaching and learning.  For serious cases there may be a fresh start, a collaborative restart (or a support federation) with a stronger school or the appointment of an Interim Executive Board to temporarily replace the governing body.  School Improvement Partnership Boards have been set up in some authorities to oversee school improvement in one or more schools.  In some cases a failing school may be replaced by an academy. 

What is Fresh Start ?
A Fresh Start involves the closure of a failing school and the opening of a new school on the same site. It offers a radical approach to securing school improvement for failing schools showing insufficient evidence of recovery.

How many Fresh Start schools are there ?
57 Fresh Start schools - 27 primaries, 28 secondaries, 1 special and 1 pupil referral unit - have opened since 1998.  Three have since closed. 

What is the Government doing to support Fresh Start schools ?

The Department for Children, Schools and Families has put together a support programme designed to:

Is Fresh Start working ?
There is now clear evidence that the majority of Fresh Start schools are making real progress towards raising standards and sustaining that progress. Where this has not happened evidence shows that the process was poorly planned and implemented. DCSF has learned these lessons and the support programe has been enhanced.