Government to abandon national strategies introduced by Blair

The government is set to end centralised control of schools by scrapping the national strategies introduced by Tony Blair in 1997.

The move, to be outlined in next week’s education white paper, will end oversight of the literacy and numeracy hours in primary schools and will offer schools more freedom over teaching methods. It will also allow the government to end its contract with the private company Capita, which delivers the national strategies, saving up to £100m a year.

The money will reportedly be channelled to successful schools to spend on developing networks and federations with lower-performing schools in order to raise standards.

A government spokesman emphasised that there was no question of abandoning the daily literacy and numeracy hours but that support for them would now be delivered locally, not centrally.

Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, recently previewed the historic break with centralisation at a head teachers’ conference.

He said: “I think the right thing for us to do now is to move away from what has historically been a rather central view of school improvement through national strategies, to something which is essentially being commissioned not from the centre, but by schools themselves.”

Last night, the Conservatives were supportive of the government's plan. Michael Gove, the shadow schools secretary, said: "If Ed Balls is going to scrap the national strategies in their current form, we will support him. They cost a fortune and do not drive up standards. We want to give teachers more responsibility."

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