The scheme was an initiative of schools secretary Ed Balls in June 2008,[1] during Gordon Brown's Labour administration.
It is funded like other maintained schools, but has legal powers to establish its own admissions policy, directly employ staff[a] and take controls of its assets, land and buildings.
[3] Schools were allocated a local authority or trust advisor, who would work with the Senior Management Team to create a RAP, a strategic plan, which would encourage a clearer focus on setting key priorities, and review progress by the use of clearly defined objectives, milestones and outcomes.
The RAP is seen as the key driver of change and improves the quality of dialogue between head teachers, senior leaders and middle managers.
They have simply not yet met, for a variety of reasons, a series of arbitrary numerical targets in certain subjects but with more support will continue on their way to doing so".
As the government has acknowledged, many of them are on a rising tide of achievement under their existing leadership," said Dr Dunford, a representative of headteachers.
[1] In a briefing paper, deposited in the House of Commons Library, Paul Bolton of the Institute of Education examines the statistics.