Tories ditch streaming in favour of 'ability sets' in schools

In a bid to spike Labour claims that the Tories are in favour of an "elite few", Mr Cameron will refine his earlier pledge to offer "a grammar school stream" in every school.

Streaming puts some pupils in the top classes for all subjects, whereas setting places them in classes in each subject according to ability. The Tories will now make clear that streaming need only apply in smaller schools with limited timetabling.

Mr Cameron and shadow schools secretary Michael Gove will outline their proposals tomorrow during a visit to the East End.

The measure in their green paper will be accompanied by other moves to toughen discipline and set a target that every pupil should be able to read by the age of six.

Although Labour's 1997 election manifesto hinted at more setting in schools, the proportion of lessons taught according to ability stood at just 40 per cent last year. In some subjects, such as history and geography, nearly three-quarters of lessons take place in mixed ability classes.

The Tories intend to make information on setting a key requirement of an Ofsted inspection, a move they claim will force London's worst schools to start setting.

Mr Gove said: "Children should be given the opportunity to learn in accordance with their particular aptitude and ability, so that the brightest pupils are stretched and those who might be struggling are given extra support.

"We want to see more teaching by ability in schools so we can begin to narrow the gap in achievement between those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds and the rest."

The Tories also pledge to improve discipline and behaviour in schools, shifting the balance of power back to the teacher and ending outside panels overturning exclusion decisions.

Mr Gove wants to pioneer a credit and debit Behaviour Monitoring Programme to provide parents with weekly updates on pupil behaviour and give pupils a termly reward or penalty.

To boost literacy, synthetic phonics will be the preferred method of teaching reading - Schools Minister Lord Adonis said yesterday the Government was pursuing this method.

Meanwhile, under new Government plans, pupils disenchanted with mainstream education will be sent to special "studio schools".

Children who have been or are in danger of being expelled can go to the new units, where they will learn how to run their own businesses and do work experience in a setting more like a workplace than a classroom.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls believes the American-style unit, which was successfully tested in Luton, will tackle high rates of exclusion and give "quality" job-related education to teenagers.

And it was claimed today that academies are failing to give pupils in deprived areas the quality of education they were promised.

A teacher at an academy in the home counties said that some of the most vulnerable children were in a "desperate situation" because of the inappropriate policies imposed on them by the principal and the school's sponsor.

It came as figures showed that government spending on academies in London and the South-East has passed the £1billion barrier.

The Tories have also outlined a crackdown on school discipline - banning mobile phones.

The measure is contained in an education policy document intended to help hand back power to teachers.

Under proposals to be unveiled by David Cameron tomorrow, heads would get the final say on expulsions.

They would also be allowed to impose legally-binding behaviour contracts on pupils.

Yesterday the proposals were greeted with derision by Labour, which said teachers already had many of the powers being proposed.