Aiming to give children the best chances to learn.

Byline: By David Miliband

Proposals have been put forward which means the time between Ofsted inspections will be halved from six to three years and advance notice slashed from 10 weeks to a day. Schools Minister David Miliband explains the changes and praises local schools highlighted in the recent Ofsted report.

The current inspection process has played an important role in the drive to raise standards but it is right to seek improvements that will deliver a sharper focus, lighter touch and clearer link to school improvement in the future.

Ofsted's proposals for shorter, but more frequent, inspections build on previous good work in a positive and practical way.

For schools, it offers more clarity on driving school improvement forward, in the context of the Government's work, to develop a new way of working with schools.

For parents it offers more up-to-date and relevant information about schools' performance.

Ravenswood Primary School, Biddick Hall Junior School, Stocksfield Avenue Primary School. Those names don't mean much outside the North East, but the children who study in those schools, and the teachers who teach in them, have good reason to be proud of themselves.

They have been named by Ofsted, the school inspection authority, as among the most successful in the country.

Inspections are important. They let parents, pupils and the Government know what's happening in schools: what's going right, and where we need to take action to improve things. Ofsted's report on schools inspected in 2002/03 tells us that the North East is making progress.

For example, the inspectors found very good teaching and learning throughout Ravenswood school, and pupils, who made very good progress, were well-behaved and had positive attitudes to their work.

There's no secret formula for creating such a happy and successful school. Ravenswood has a very dedicated head and a committed staff, and the result is a very caring, effective school - one which parents and children can be proud of.

Biddick Hall Juniors, in my South Shields constituency, is another excellent school that respects and values all its pupils. In Biddick Hall, inspectors found high expectations leading to high standards - in terms of academic achievement and pupils' development.

I don't pretend there isn't a lot still to be done - in the North East, and in other parts of the country. But with the right leadership it can be done.

Wingrove Primary School in Newcastle was in special measures, but this year has been marked out on the inspectors' list of `significantly improved' schools.

This year's Ofsted report looks at individual pupils' progress for the first time, measuring a school's success by the difference it makes to children's personal outcomes.

We need to develop an education system that brings out the best in all children, builds on their strengths, enables them to develop a love of learning, and helps them grow into confident and independent citizens. Personalised Learning.

Personalised Learning embraces every aspect of school life: teaching and learning strategies, ICT, curriculum, timetabling, assessment arrangements, and relationships with the local community.

I congratulate the North East schools mentioned for praise in this year's report, and every other school working to improve standards.

But I won't be satisfied until every school is as good as the best.

pounds 2.2bn revamp programme for region's schools

Dozens of North East schools are set to get a multi-million pound makeover as part of a pounds 2.2bn investment programme.

Schools in Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland celebrated receiving the new funding to repair crumbling classrooms and create new state-of-the-art schools.

But teachers in Durham and North Tyneside were told they had missed out on the cash.

Today Schools Minister and South Shields MP David Miliband announced the schemes that will spearhead the Government's new "building schools for the future" programme to rebuild or refurbish every secondary in England over the coming decade.

The successful authorities will receive between pounds 100m and pounds 220m in the coming years to redevelop their secondary schools.

In Gateshead, Thomas Hepburn Community School and Heworth Grange Comprehensive School will be benefiting from the cash boost.

Coun John McElroy, cabinet member with responsibility for learning and culture at Gateshead council, said: "We face the challenge of needing to provide all the children in Gateshead with the best possible experience of school life.

"The Building Schools for the Future initiative will help Gateshead Council to continue to realise our ambitions to do this."

Malcolm Dawson headteacher at Thomas Hepburn School in Gateshead said:"This is a major investment and as a forward looking school we are looking forward to starting the improvement work."

Durham and North Tyneside will now have to reapply in wave two of the scheme in 2006/7 or wave three in 2007/8.

Mr Miliband said: "The scheme will deliver tailored classroom facilities to support innovative teaching styles, high-quality facilities and integrated information and communications technology.

"Strategic investment will now take place across local education authorities."

Durham County Council leader Ken Manton said the Authority's omission from the list of successful bids was "a huge disappointment".

And he added he would be seeking immediate talks with both the Government and the county's MPs.

"When you look at where the money is going, it seems to be addressing problems in inner-city urban areas," said Coun Manton.

"We have illustrated clearly and repeatedly that County Durham has similar pockets of urban deprivation, which deserve just as urgent attention.

"It is totally unjustifiable that an area like East Durham, whose significant levels of deprivation made it the focus of our bid, should be excluded while its neighbours like South Tyneside and Gateshead are included."

Coun Keith Taylor, cabinet member for lifelong learning and training at Newcastle City Council, said: "This is a major investment that will allow the council to provide all secondary school pupils with first-class facilities.

"The funding will enable the council to create a network of new schools, fit for their purpose and fit to meet the future educational needs of the city."

The money will allow work to be carried out at All Saints' College, Benfield School, Gosforth High School, St Mary's Catholic Comprehensive School, Walker Technology College, West Gate Community College, St Cuthbert's Catholic High School and Gosforth West Middle School, along with Sir Charles Parsons and Trinity special schools.

The funding will also enable a complete rebuild at Walbottle Campus. Heaton Manor School has already undergone major redevelopment through Newcastle's first Private Finance Initiative (PFI) scheme, worth pounds 47m, while Kenton School and Thomas Bewick Special School are due to be redeveloped under the second PFI scheme, worth pounds 60m.