Ed Balls has set out the next phase of the Government�s School Improvement Strategy � National Challenge - to transform schools, raise results in English and mathematics, and tackle underachievement by young people.

The Children�s Plan sets out that by 2020 at least 90 per cent of children will achieve the equivalent of five higher level GCSEs by age 19.

National Challenge is important step on the way towards this � to meet the goal that in every secondary school, at least 30 per cent of its pupils will achieve five good GCSEs including English and mathematics by 2011.

In 1997 there were 1,610 schools below this 30 per cent minimum standard; today there are 638 - the National Challenge sets out how we will reduce this number to zero.

Ed Balls announced that he would double the �200m previously announced in the budget to �400m to help local authorities and schools.

The extra funding could mean that up to 70 National Challenge schools could be converted into Academies over and above existing plans, and that up to 120 new Trust schools could be created. This 120 could include 70 National Challenge Trusts where a school links with another high performing school as well as an external partner such as a university or business.

To kick-start the National Challenge, Ed Balls asked local authorities to set out by the end of the school summer term, individual action plans for how they will transform results in each National Challenge school from now until 2011.

The plans must contain realistic expectations of how school exam results will improve in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and assessments of whether their schools are high, medium or low risk of meeting the 2011 goal. He also asked governing bodies to hold meetings as soon as possible to review how they would need to support their Heads and teachers in improving results.

The key aspects of the National Challenge plans are:

• �400m available to support National Challenge schools over the next three years - �200m announced in the Budget - plus a further �200m allocated from existing resources and re-prioritised towards National Challenge schools; 
• More one-to-one tuition and study support in English and mathematics for children in National Challenge schools; plus extra support from National Strategies� experts for weak English and mathematics departments; 
• Additional support for senior leaders in schools to support mathematics and science departments;  Highly respected education expert Sir Mike Tomlinson will chair a new National Challenge Panel of Expert Advisers to support low attaining schools. The panel will consist of heads who have successfully turned around underperforming schools, City Challenge Advisers and Directors of Children�s Services; 
• Each National Challenge school will be allocated a National Challenge Adviser, who will work with the school leadership to develop a tailored package of support; 
• By 2011 150 more National Leaders of Education � outstanding super-heads with past experience of turning schools around � will work alongside heads to help solve problems at the schools; 
• The new Masters in Teaching and Learning will be made available in National Challenge Schools;
• As well as Academies, where a school is completely unable to raise their exam results, the Government will encourage local authorities to close the school and replace it with a National Challenge Trust, providing that they forge new improvement partnerships led by a successful school and a business or university partner. The aim would be to give the school and the community a fresh beginning and a break with previous underachievement; 
• Encouragement to use tried and tested school improvement models, such as partnerships with successful schools (federations) or partnerships with business or universities (Trusts), so that National Challenge schools benefit from new governance arrangements and best practice; 
• The Government will legislate to take new powers to direct local authorities to issue a warning notice where there is clear cause for concern � such as exam results getting worse; to appoint Interim Executive Boards where the school is under a warning notice; and to require a local authority to take on advisory services where there are large numbers of schools with unacceptably low standards.

Ed Balls said:

�Schools have made huge progress. In 1997, there were 1,610 schools where fewer than 30 per cent of pupils gained five good GCSEs including English and mathematics; today there are 638.

�Our goal over the next three years is to get every school to this minimum 30 per cent standard and to get that 638 down to zero. Every parent needs to know that their local school will get to this basic standard.

�Most areas still have at least one National Challenge school.

�GCSE success is not the only measure of how a school performs, but it is critical � teenagers need these qualifications to go on to further study, work and prosperity. A young person with five good GCSEs will almost always earn considerably more than a teenager who leaves school with no qualifications. Employers expect these qualifications as a minimum.

�I know that teachers in National Challenge schools are working hard often in difficult circumstances. They need more support so that these schools and their children can reach their full potential. We need rapid but sustainable improvement to raise children�s aspirations and their job prospects.

�Of course National Challenge schools face real challenges but no child and no school is on a pre-determined path to low results. There are many schools in communities of high unemployment and low aspirations where children achieve excellent GCSE results. For each National Challenge school, another school facing similar problems has already turned itself around.

�I don�t want to see excuses about poor performance - I want to see clear plans to raise standards.�

Jim Knight said:

�We know that excellent leadership is the route to excellent results. But good leaders need the right support; and good teachers need the space to concentrate on teaching.

�I would like running a school in tough circumstances to be viewed as a plum job for which the best teachers compete.�

National Challenge is based on the successful London Challenge scheme, which is transforming results in the capital�s schools.

Andrew Adonis said:

�London Challenge is going national. The success of London Challenge shows that targeted interventions work. Since 2003 London schools have had an intensive focus on improvement, with targeted support for different schools. London�s inner city schools are amongst the fastest improving schools in the country so it makes sense to learn from that experience.�

Sir Mike Tomlinson said:

�I am delighted to be chairing this panel of expert advisers. It is really important that all Local Authorities who need it have access to support from people with expertise. The Panel reflects some of the best names in the business. Everyone should be clear that we are here to provide a source of advice and support to Local Authorities: we�re not going to sit around but will expect to get stuck in.�

The National Challenge is part of the School Improvement Strategy, the Government�s drive to transform education for the long term. Forthcoming plans will look at improving results in �coasting� schools - where pupils get high results but make slow progress; good schools which have the potential to be outstanding schools; and primary schools.

Many of the local authorities with the most National Challenge schools are those in selective areas where �secondary moderns� face particular challenges. As part of the School Improvement Strategy there will be intensive engagement to raise attainment in these schools where pupils often start school with low aspirations. One of the panel of experts, Richard Wallis, has considerable experience of what turns around attainment in �secondary moderns�. Sixty per cent of secondary moderns already have results that meet the National Challenge 30 per cent standard.