Schools Requiring Special Measures or Found to have Serious Weaknesses: Circular 28/03

This guidance replaces Welsh Office Circular 64/93 "Schools Requiring Special Measures: A Guide to the Special Measures Provisions of the Education Act 1993". It provides advice to LEAs and schools where a school has been found as a result of a Section 10 inspection to be in need of special measures or to have serious weaknesses.

• It highlights the LEA’s responsibility: namely to prepare a statement of action, work in partnership with the school, provide regular and welltargeted support and monitor progress
• The procedures to be followed when a school is identified as requiring special measures, including publication of the inspection report, preparation and implementation of action plans and monitoring of progress; and the removal of a school from special measures.
• The procedures to be followed when a school is identified as having serious weaknesses: including the completion of an action plan by the school.
• It takes account of sections 54 to 56 of the Education Act 2002 relating to intervention in schools causing concern which came into force in January 2003.
• The 2002 Act provisions enable intervention action by the Minister or the LEA to start before the report is published and extend the intervention powers to schools with serious weaknesses.