Those which fail to improve sufficiently face closure. They would then either re-open under a new headteacher and governors or remain shut for good, with their pupils transferred to better performing schools.

The announcement comes as recent inspections have detected a rise in the number of sub-standard schools.

John Bangs of the National Union of Teachers tells Radio 5 Live there will be an exodus of teachers from failing schools

The new procedures will apply to schools in England which have failed inspections carried out by the Office for Standards in Education and are the subject of "special measures" designed to improve their performance.

The Education Secretary David Blunkett said he would not hesitate to use powers which will allow him to close failing schools from September.

"Persistent delay in improvement damages the life chances of the youngsters involved," he said.

"The new procedures will provide both clarity and certainty for schools whilst making clear that we cannot tolerate consistent failure.

"Our task is to overcome failure and to lift the expectations and levels of achievement of the education service as a whole."

Blunkett: Policy puts children first

Mr Blunkett was accompanied by the Chief Inspector of Schools in England Chris Woodhead and the Schools Standards Minister Stephen Byers.

Mr Woodhead reported that the number of failing schools was rising.

Inspections carried out since last September had found that 3% of primary schools and 4% of secondary schools in England were providing sub-standard education, he said.

David Blunkett tells Radio 5 Live: "It's got to stop"

It compared with 2% in both primary and secondary schools over the first four years of the school inspection programme, which began in September 1993.

Mr Woodhead said: "It is disturbing that some schools and local education authorities do not seem to have absorbed the messages from four years of inspection and have not raised their game.

"Many thousands of children are being denied the education they are entitled to."

Morale

But the general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers, Nigel de Gruchy, said the new plans would do nothing for his members' morale.

He added that he was surprised by the new announcement so soon after Mr Blunkett expressed concern that schools were spending excessive time preparing for inspections.

"So in one day Mr Blunkett tries to reassure teachers about inspections, asking them not to spend so much time and effort on them, and at the same time he threatens to close their schools down if they fail the inspection."

New legislation

Powers giving the education secretary the right to close failing schools which have not radically improved their performance during a two-year period are contained within the School Standards and Framework Bill, expected to become law by the summer.

There are already examples of schools closing and opening again on the same premises under new leadership: Blakelaw School in Newcastle, and Earl Marshal School in Sheffield.

Both are due to re-open in September.