PRIMARY schools in Worcestershire have hit back at a suggestion they could be forced to become academies, saying that, far from failing, inspectors have given them good ratings.

We reported how Education Secretary Michael Gove had announced that the 200 worst performing primary schools nationally would become academies from September 2012 in a bid to raise standards.

The 200 under-performing primary schools will be those who have failed to reach the Government’s floor target of 60 per cent of pupils achieving level 4 in English and Maths at key stage 2 (and with a below average percentage of pupils making progress) for five years or more.

It was revealed a further 500 schools which have not met the floor standard for three years or more may also be targeted at a later date. Earlier this month at a meeting with trade unions, Worcestershire County Council identified 17 secondary, middle and primary schools in Worcestershire not meeting the Government’s floor standard in 2010 and labelled them as “needing help”.

Steve Brown, from Unison, said unions were concerned the 17 could be pressurised into becoming academies if they continued not to meet the floor standards.

However, some schools are adamant they are in no danger of being forced down the academy route because their ratings by Ofsted inspectors mark them out as too good.

Jason Beardmore, head of Woodfield Middle School, Redditch, said his school was rated good with outstanding features in its most recent Ofsted inspection.

He said his school only dipped below the floor standard in 2010 – based on SATs results for year 6 pupils – after Mr Gove retrospectively raised the level.

He said: “I asked county (council) the question ‘are we on any hit list?’ and they said categorically no, not a county list, or an Ofsted list or any hit list.

“I believe Mr Gove has said he has a list of schools that are consistently not making progress. We are nowhere near that list or even considered within the same ballpark.”

Anne Potter, head teacher of Stanley Road Primary School, Worcester, said: “Ofsted has just rated us as good with outstanding features and the floor standard is a totally different measurement.

“We didn’t meet the floor standard and the Ofsted report explains the reasons why.

“The local authority have reassured me we are not on any list of theirs as being a failing school.”

Lyn Evans, head of Abbey Park middle school, Pershore, also said the school was rated as good with outstanding features by Ofsted.

She described the school’s SATs results as a “blip” and said the school also only dipped after levels were raised. The council has written to heads to inform them that its policy will be to look at every school individually.

• In our report on Friday, June 17, we said 17 schools on the county council’s list had failed to meet Ofsted’s standards. In fact, the schools had not met the Government’s floor standard.