Six schools in Thanet are among those which face the axe unless they improve.

They include the Marlowe Academy at Ramsgate which was the worst performing school in the county last year.

The others are Charles Dickens, Hartsdown, Hereson, King Ethelbert and St George's.

The Government is targeting 638 UK schools failing to meet its target of 30 per cent of pupils achieving at least five A to C grade GCSEs, including English and maths.

It warns those unable to improve within three years will be shut and replaced with a new "trust" school.

The figure for the Marlowe Academy was 7 per cent, for Charles Dickens, 29 per cent, for Hartsdown, 15 per cent, for Hereson 20 per cent, 11 per cent for King Ethelbert and 18 per cent for St George's.

Thirty-three non-selective schools across Kent have been identified as struggling.

A further seven have been earmarked for improvement in Medway.

While KCC insists it is on track to meet the necessary targets, pupils will be under immense pressure to perform well this summer in order to save their classrooms from the chop.

Full list of schools ordered to improve>>>

Schools Secretary Ed Balls will officially unveil his £400m standards drive today, which will see struggling schools given extra funding, expert advice, and assistance from other schools and external partners to meet the 30 per cent threshold.

But Kent County Council member for Education Cllr Chris Wells says the county is well ahead of Government targets for improving its struggling secondary schools, and was confident at least 16 will achieve five A* to C grades by the end of the summer.

Cllr Wells said: “We have already started work in this area and we are expecting to halve the number of schools in this category by the end of this summer – let alone by 2011.”