One of England’s smallest education authorities cannot support its schools adequately and will need help to improve, according to a new report.

The Isles of Scilly authority - which oversees only five schools - has “major weaknesses”, according to the Office for Standards in Education.

Inspectors said that the authority “lacks the capacity to support its schools adequately”. They made a raft of recommendations but said that the Scillies did not have the expertise to meet them without assistance.

Now the Scillies expect to receive more money from the Government. Philip Hygate, the chief executive of the Council of the Isles of Scilly, said:

“We can only bring in additional management capacity with additional resources. Negotiations are currently under way with the Department for Education and Skills.”

The extra money could amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds, he said. Negotiations are likely to be concluded within weeks.

Mr Hygate added that there was no question of the DFES stepping in to run education on the islands.

A spokeswoman from the department said: “The department will be reviewing the LEA’s post-OFSTED plan and monitoring its implementation.”

A lack of money was pinpointed as the Scillies’ main problem, with small schools, fluctuating pupil numbers and a high level of delegation draining cash away from central services.

There were major weaknesses in the support the LEA provided in the area of school improvement.

On the plus side school governors were praised, as were plans to introduce a “federated” model for the Scillies schools, bringing them all under a single governing body and headteacher.

Poole education authority also has problems. Inspectors said the structure of the schools system was “excessively complex”.

The authority has a three-tier system with 42 first, middle and secondaries. There are nine types of school including selective grammars and six ages at which pupils can transfer between them.

The report also highlights an urgent need to review strategies to meet targets for 11-year-olds this year.

But, inspectors say, Poole does many things well, adding: “There is good, challenging support for management and Poole schools are ably led.”

OFSTED’s report on Bexley education authority, also published this week, praises many aspects of its performance including sound frameworks and procedures for school improvement.

But it notes that Bexley does not challenge secondary schools enough to ensure continuous improvement and says it “has not been successful in creating a strong and co-operative partnership with all its schools”.

www.ofsted.gov.ukinspectlea.htm.

ISLES OF SCILLY

Strengths

* Support for early years

* Collaboration with other agencies

Weaknesses

* Implementation of the Education Development Plan

* Support for schools causing concern

* Support for school management

* Implementing “corporate” (ie for LEA itself) plans

* Financial services to schools

POOLE

Strengths

* Strategy and support for special needs

* Support for early years

* Support for school management

* Leadership by senior officers

Weaknesses

* Support for numeracy

* Use of performance data in strategic planning and target-setting

BEXLEY

Strengths

* Support for literacy

* Support for governors

* Clarity, consistency and feasibility of corporate plans

* Quality of advice received by elected members

Weaknesses

* Implementation of monitoring, challenge, intervention and support in some schools

* Support for pupils’ behaviour management