UKIP Newcastle chairman David Nixon said: "UKIP believe that small schools, with separate nursery, infant, junior and secondary schools with their own headteachers, are the answer to raising standards and school discipline.

"In secondary education, grammar schools should be established with separate small high schools. Most high schools, even with 20 per cent of the more academic pupils having gone to grammar schools, achieve higher standards than most comprehensives.

"In schools with over 1,000 pupils, 10 per cent of them are excluded while in secondary schools with less than that figure, only three per cent are.

"Independence should be given to head teachers over discipline and useless paper work should be scrapped."

Green Party candidate Wendy Birks said: "The Green Party opposes City Academies and Trust Schools and SATs; we believe that schools should be governed in the interests of children and their parents, not through private individuals or businesses.

"Small schools will be protected wherever possible and be developed as community resources. Large comprehensives, where alienation is seen to be a problem, will be encouraged to reorganise as clusters of 'mini-schools'.

"We believe in restoring trust in the teaching profession and will ensure that teachers have the working conditions, time and resources to work together to respond to the needs of their local community and decide how best to help children to learn."

Conservative group leader councillor Philip Atkins said: "While there is already some excellent education provision in Staffordshire schools, there are also significant areas of under-achievement which we want to address. All our children are entitled to a quality education and an equal opportunity to reach their full potential.

"We will put the needs of learners first by supporting and encouraging schools to take a firm line on disruptive behaviour, tackle parents who allow persistent truancy and develop strong leadership that leads to higher quality learning.

"We will support and encourage small rural schools and will seek new ways to enhance locally-based education in rural areas.

"We intend to improve sixth form provision in schools. This is an area where real change and innovation is necessary."

Liberal Democrat councillor Christina Jebb said: "Parents know what is best for their children. We should listen to their concerns about Building Schools for the Future and reconsider the best way to reduce class sizes and improve results and school buildings.

"Build on the success of the District Children's Trust Boards to further improve services to children and families. A three-tier education system which suits urban areas is unlikely to meet the needs of rural populations – time must be taken to develop the most appropriate systems in each area.

"Halt the cutbacks in youth provision, working with partner organisations to lift this service out of the doldrums. Help young people to learn life skills to keep them safe while promoting their independence as citizens."

Council leader and Labour group leader John Taylor said: "Labour will ensure that all young people receive a 21st century education to help them achieve their full potential.

"We will continue to increase and support easily accessible youth services and social activity to young people.

"We will continue to strengthen the early years provision through our Children's Centres and through the early years service and support other providers.

"We will build on the good work of our Corporate Parenting Panel to ensure the best possible outcomes for the young people in our care.

"We will introduce half-price school meals, subsidising the cost of school meals for all SCC Nursery and Primary school pupils from £1.99 to just £1 a day, a saving of approximately £200 per child."

BNP election agent and Stoke-on-Trent city councillor Michael Coleman said: "We are not happy with education in this country. Attainment is low, and we consider it to be falling.

"Academy schools are having a disruptive and divisive effect on the community. They can lead to the break-up of communities, because there is no community ownership of the schools. We think there is a very sinister political agenda to set up these schools.

"We believe in offering small community schools, with no more than 600 to 800 places. These schools should serve all levels of attainment, and not just the highest.

"We feel that academies are elitist, catering for the top 50 per cent, with the rest going to trust schools. We don't buy into that at all."