Intervention threat to Norfolk schools

Dozens of Norfolk schools are at risk of government intervention after missing a tough performance target for English and maths.

Earlier this year, the government announced that primary schools would be classed as failing if less than 60pc of pupils reached level four in English and maths - and fewer youngsters made two levels of progress in the subjects than the national average.

According to this year's primary school performance tables, 36 Norfolk schools fall below the mark.

The figure would probably be higher, but statistics are not available for the 73 schools that boycotted the tests.

Those schools that fail to reach the target face closure or being taken over. Nationally, 962 schools failed to reach the target. Last year, when there was no boycott, 1,631 schools fell short.

Among the Norwich schools that have missed the target are Bluebell Primary on Lovelace Road, Cavell Primary on Duckett Close,

Larkman Primary on Clarkson Road, Heartsease Primary on Rider Haggard Road, Magdalen Gates Primary on Bull Close Road, and St Michael's Junior in Bowthorpe.

In Yarmouth and Gorleston, schools that missed the target were Peterhouse and Greenacre primaries, and Cliff Park, St Nicholas, Peterhouse and Edward Worlledge juniors.

Buxton, Barford, Salhouse and Horsford were the other local primary schools that missed the target.