Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to work with West Sussex County Council to improve education results in that area.

My officials have had two face-to-face meetings this term with lead West Sussex County Council officers to discuss school performance. These meetings have focused on particular concerns about results at Key Stage 2, as results at Key Stage 4 were better. At KS2 West Sussex were 144^th out of 150 local authorities in England, compared to 52^nd of 150 at KS4.

These meetings resulted in agreement about maintained schools that will be considered for sponsored academy status, and academy trusts, which will be challenged by the Regional Schools Commissioner for poor performance in their schools. West Sussex County Council have issued warning notices to four primary schools identified as performing particularly badly. DfE officials will continue to meet the local authority to discuss schools causing particular concern.

The Regional Schools Commissioner has visited West Sussex twice this term at the invitation of the local authority, and has spoken to heads and governors about current issues affecting schools. Officials are following this up with individual meetings with schools to discuss concerns and options for converting to academy status, joining together as multi-academy trusts, and other ways forward.