SWINDON Council is on the verge of finding an external partner to help salvage its failing education department.

It is currently considering proposals from five different organisations that have applied to take control of the top tiers of management at the local education authority.

The Education Partnership Steering Group which comprises council representatives, Government officials, local headteachers, governors and union leaders will interview all five on April 12.

A recommendation will then be made to the Education Secretary, Estelle Morris, and a final decision will be made at a full council meeting on April 25.

The organisations which could be private companies or public bodies or a combination of both have not yet been identified. But whichever of the five is eventually chosen will start work on May 27 and will have a crucial role to play in trying to turn around the fortunes of the LEA.

The organisation will work with the council to appoint a new chief education officer and his or her immediate deputies.

It will be given a contract with agreed targets to improve the services of the LEA and will be overseen by an Education Partnership Board, which will have a similar make-up to the steering group. The move for a strategic partner was proposed as part of the action plan following the savage report on the LEA's services by Ofsted inspectors in September.

The council was criticised for creating a culture of confusion, suspicion and mistrust between itself and local schools and 17 out of 24 services were judged to be unsatisfactory or worse.

Council leader Mike Bawden (Con, Old Town and Lawn) said: "We are very pleased to have received detailed bids from five groups. We hope to select the best partner for Swindon by the end of this month."