Under the latest Government reforms, to be rubber-stamped next week, schools will no longer have to implement national strategies in literacy and numeracy from 2011.

Preston headteacher and national primary sector spokesman for the National Association of Headteachers David Fann applauded the move.

Mr Fann, head at Sherwood Primary in Fulwood, said: "We are very supportive of this because this was only ever about national statistics and not about what was really happening in schools.

"I am concerned though, about the large number of staff employed on collating national statistics and would like to see the money spent on all this going to schools.

"Despite the national curriculum schools have always found their own flexibility.

"The literacy and numeracy hours have improved standards, and again, I think teachers have used their discretion."

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), also praised the move and a spokesman said: "This will end a period of centralism in education delivery, where the Government in Whitehall has said that it knows best how teachers in schools up and down the country should teach literacy and numeracy.

"The strategies haven't been raising standards; they have deprived teachers of the proper decisions they should be making about how and what they should teach."

Other changes in the White Paper are expected to include teachers having to reapply for licences and a legal requirement for pupils who are falling behind to get one-to-one tuition.

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