Parents to get new school reports

Parents would get a rounded picture of a school say ministers

Parents applying to state schools in England could be given prospectuses like those produced by independent schools, under plans being drawn up.

The prospectuses would give a school's exam results, details of its Ofsted report plus information about the range of courses and sports on offer.

Head teachers have been working on the plans for "school profiles" with government officials.

Education Secretary Charles Clarke told a meeting of the Association of Chief Education Officers the profile would "provide a more rounded assessment for parents and the community of school performance".

"Parents want to see a much more rounded set of information about what the school is doing and how the school is performing."

At the moment, information given by schools to parents and people interested in applying to the school varies, some already produce prospectuses but others give little information.

School governors are required to produce an annual report which is made available to parents and the profile would replace this.

A governors' report includes a school's exam results as well as information on particular polices or areas of school life.

The government says the new profile would be in a simple format which all schools could follow.

The first page would be put together centrally, to include statistics and details of Ofsted inspections, while the second part of the profile would be produced by the school itself.

The idea of the profile was first suggested by Schools Minister David Miliband.

When he addresses the annual conference of the Secondary Heads Association in Harrogate on Friday, Mr Miliband is expected to say: "School performance data in raw and value-added terms is here to stay - parents have a right to this information - but they also have a right to a broad picture of what the school is doing.

"A school profile light on bureaucracy, easy to access and powerful in impact would give parents a broader and deeper understanding of school performance from the classroom to the playing field."

The government is asking teachers and head teachers for their opinions of the idea.

The Secondary Heads Association has been working with officials on the plans and supports the idea - on condition they do not add bureaucracy.

It is calling for league tables of results to be abolished.

But ministers are stressing the new profiles will not replace the league tables.

The government wants to introduce school profiles in September 2005.