A government source close to the policy said: “The Tories have simply not intervened in failing schools – they blew hot air on standards but left thousands of children in under-performing schools to deteriorate.

“We will not tolerate a situation where children, especially those from disadvantaged communities, continue to be failed. So we are prepared to get our hands dirty and unpopular to fix these schools.

“But it’s not just schools that are failing. Good will not be good enough when it comes to academic performance. The Education Secretary believes there is always room for improvement in schools.”

Ms Phillipson’s early record on standards in the department was contested by the Conservatives, who opposed the decision to end each school receiving a one-word summary of Ofsted’s performance.

The move was revealed in September and came after his death Ruth Perrythe headteacher who took his own life last January after an Ofsted inspection downgraded his school in Reading from ‘outstanding’ to ‘inadequate’.

Damian Hinds, the Tory shadow education secretary, said of the reform: “The result of the main inspection is a vital indicator for parents. While we believe the system could be further improved, removing the main inspection result is not in the best interests of pupils or parents.”

Rise teams are expected to start in some parts of the country from January. The idea, according to Education Department insiders, is for the teams to learn from best practices around the country and help struggling schools improve.