THE Government has announced an immediate review of Dudley Council after it failed to meet minimum targets for exam results at a town secondary school.

Schools Minister Vernon Coaker has launched the National Challenge review into concerns at Castle High School, where exam results have fallen below the nationally set benchmark.

The National Challenge is an ongoing programme by the Department for Children, Schools and Families to ensure that at least 30 per cent of pupils in every secondary school in England achieves at least five higher grade GCSEs, including English and maths, by 2011.

In this summer’s GCSE results, the St James’s Road school achieved just short of the benchmark, gaining 28 per cent five GCSEs, including English and maths.

Cabinet member for children’s services, Councillor Liz Walker said she was “extremely disappointed” with the review – which they have “reluctantly” agreed to – but said the school was on course to achieve above the benchmark by the 2011 target.

Mrs Walker said: “The standard and achievement of Dudley schools is extremely high and indeed is the highest in the Black Country.

“There is currently only one school which falls into the National Challenge criteria and this school is on course to be above Government floor targets by the 2011 target.

She added: “We reluctantly agreed to the review but we are extremely disappointed with any intervention at a time when we have been working closely with the DCSF and our schools on a Building Schools for the Future (BSF) bid.”

However, in the Children, School and Families Bill, Mr Coaker said the Government was “frustrated” that local authorities were not implementing radical action plans to help struggling schools improve.

He said: “While the majority of local authorities have grasped the nettle and are supporting and implementing radical action plans to help their National Challenge schools improve, we remain frustrated that some authorities are not.

“The time for indecision is over. We need definite and radical solutions.”

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