The authorities, which will be inspected with the assistance of the Audit Commission, are intended to include a range of London boroughs and county councils, metropolitan and unitary authorities and high and low performers.

"No-one doubts the need for local education authority inspection. If school standards are to rise, the performance of LEAs must also improve," said the Chief Inspector of Schools in England, Chris Woodhead.

Highly-critical inspection reports for the London boroughs of Islington and Hackney and Liverpool have led to government intervention and the privatisation of education services.

The authorities to be inspected from Spring 2000 are:

Bradford
Brighton and Hove
Camden
City of York
Corporation of London
Hammersmith and Fulham
Kensington and Chelsea
Luton
North Yorkshire
Portsmouth
Rochdale
Tameside
Trafford
Waltham Forest
Wandsworth
Westminster
Wolverhampton