The BBC have carried out a survey to find out which local authorities have failing primary schools likely to be taken over as sponsored academies. The criteria for failing is that for five years running fewer that 60% of their pupils have reached the required standard in English and maths (level four in the National curriculum Sats test).
Around 200 schools are understood to fall into this category. The target is for them to be reopened as academies this September. Usually, but not always, this will mean a new head teacher. In future years a further 500 primaries that have been "below the floor" for three or four years will also find themselves under new management.
The BBC says:
Bristol has the highest number on the list with 13 primaries facing conversion to academy status.
Birmingham has 12 primary schools on the list, followed by Lancashire with eight schools and Kent with seven.
Some local authorities refused to reveal whether or not they had primary schools on the government's list, including West Sussex and Wiltshire.
However, the education union the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) told the BBC that both West Sussex and Wiltshire also have seven primary schools which the government wants to convert to academies.
Lancashire has eight, Lincolnshire six, Nottingham has five on the list as does Medway. Surrey refused to say how many they had. Most councils have none. For instance among London councils Ealing has one, Newham wouldn't say and Haringey has four (presumably including Downhills which we know about already.) None of the other London boroughs have any.