Academy trusts and councils will be expected to start producing statements of action on how they intend to turn around schools in special measures from the end of next month, according to new documents.

The Department for Education has also said it will work with trusts and local authorities to ensure any outstanding statements of action for schools are prepared before the end of October.

The legal requirement to produce these action plans when a school was either placed in special measure or needed significant improvement had been lifted during the Covid-19 crisis.

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However new guidance published by the Department for Education today says that it is currently planning for this duty to return after October 31 this year.

The new document also confirms that a full return to Ofsted inspections is still scheduled for January next year - although this remains under review. 

This follows calls from school leaders to push this date back further amid concerns about the rising disruption caused by the Covid-19 crisis.

The DfE’s updated guidance says that it plans to work with councils and academy trusts to ensure all outstanding statements of action are completed by the end of October.

It says the requirement to produce a statement of action for schools in special measures had been lifted as a temporary measure.

The statement added that this was to recognise “that local authorities, trusts and schools need to focus on providing a full-time education for all pupils from the beginning of the autumn term, which includes implementing and maintaining the protective measures for pupils and staff, in order for state-funded schools to continue to deliver an appropriate response to the coronavirus outbreak”.

But it also adds: “Statements of action are, however, an important part of school improvement; we intend, therefore, to follow up with local authorities and proprietors throughout October 2020, with a view to the preparation of all outstanding statements by 31 October 2020.”