Northamptonshire County Council today began a nationwide campaign to recruit an elite 10-strong team of teachers who will be deployed into primary schools where performance is judged to be below standard.

Currently, the county has a high proportion of schools in OFSTED's Notice to Improve and special measures status, while overall performance at Key Stage 2 level, for pupils aged seven to 11, is below the national average. National assessments of seven-year-olds have also shown a decline, particularly in writing.

The teachers, who will already have a proven track record of excellence in leadership and teaching capability, will provide hands-on work in the classroom to ensure children are getting first-class teaching.

The costs of the new elite teaching squad will be met directly by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Councillor Joan Kirkbride, the council's cabinet member for children and young people, said the county council was now in a much better position to target schools which needed additional support.

She said: "We're looking for highly-talented individuals who want to do something challenging and rewarding.

"While the main aim of the scheme is to ensure individual schools will benefit from the expertise and experience of outstanding teachers, we're pleased that there will be an overall benefit for the whole county of attracting yet more first class people."

The team will be employed centrally by the county council.

A county council spokesman said the hit squad's first task would be to consult with schools to produce a needs assessment from which education chiefs would then decide where to deploy them.

The authority is expected to have the team in place for the start of the 2009/10 academic year in September.

In a damning assessment in February, the authority was heavily criticised by children's minister, Beverley Hughes, who warned council leader Jim Harker that the Government could be forced to intervene to speed up pupil progress.

The jobs are being advertised in the national press this week and details can be viewed online from today at www.teachnorthamptonshire.org.uk

n See tomorrow's Chron for details of the Primary School League Tables.