Head teachers are to have their work scrutinised and challenged by a new army of advisers who will ensure they are adhering to national policies.

Called School Improvement Partners, or SIPs, they will start operating from next September in 30 pilot authorities, including Birmingham.

Unlike existing LEA school advisers they will be mainly made up of existing heads or people with recent headship experience.

School governing bodies will receive a report about the school's performance from their SIP, who will also advise them on the head's performance and appraisal.

Secondary schools will be the first to be assigned a SIP and the Government intends every school in the country to have one by 2007.

But the plans, fleshed out yesterday by Schools Minister Stephen Twigg during a conference in Birmingham, have already attracted criticism in the city.

Coun Les Lawrence (Con Northfield), said: "It is a further extension of centralised control over local planning.

"I am also concerned about the extent to which challenge will be in the system.

"Where SIPs are existing practitioners I can't see heads within the same authority challenging each other to any great extent."

Coun Lawrence said he was pleased the city was to be a test bed for SIPs because it would give the authority a chance to prove the existing system was better.

"This is a scheme that has been set up quickly and fleshed out but then when people try it out in practice it is a one-sizefitsall," he added.

"How will their work be held to account? What is the basis of challenging the capability of a SIP if they write a report which the governing body is concerned about?"

The arrangements are part of the Government's New Relationship with Schools agenda spelt out at the National College for School Leadership conference at the ICC yesterday.

About 500 SIPs will start working with secondary schools in 30 LEAs next year. A further 40 LEAs will have SIPs linked to primary schools by September 2006.

John McNally, head teacher of St Bernadette's Primary School in Small Heath, welcomed the use of existing head teachers to assess and advise schools.

"There is nothing better than a successful practitioner talking to other heads about how to run their school. They know the reality of what it requires to run a school."