Academy plan faces fresh doubts

Plans to turn a failing school in Leicester into a city academy could be dropped if another scheme is devised.

New College has just come out of special measures, but still has some of the worst GSCE results in England.

It had been thought it would become one of the controversial academies, run jointly by the Leicester Diocese and local businesses.

But now the city council has been given more time to come up with a plan to improve the school.

Agenda 'pushed'

It follows meetings between the authority's education bosses and the Department for Education and Skills.

The city council has three options - to open as an academy school in 2007, to open as one in 2008 or to find another way to fund changes.

It has until 15 May to submit its plans.

Cabinet member for Children and Young People's Services, Hussain Sullaman said: "There has been a need to change over a number of years how we have approached the education at New College and this just happened.

"This was no fault of our own - the government just pushed the new agenda in front of us some time ago.

"Hence the negotiations where everything's changed again and we have a number of options on the table."