This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/mar/15/every-english-school-to-become-an-academy-ministers-to-announce

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Every English school to become an academy, ministers to announce Every English school to become an academy, ministers to announce
(about 1 hour later)
Legislation to turn every school in England into an academy independent of local authority control will be unveiled in the budget on Wednesday.Legislation to turn every school in England into an academy independent of local authority control will be unveiled in the budget on Wednesday.
Draft leglislation, to be published within days, will begin the process of implementing a pledge made by David Cameron in his conference speech last autumn. Draft leglislation, to be published possibly as early as Thursday, will begin the process of implementing a pledge made by David Cameron in his conference speech last autumn.
The prime minister said his “vision for our schooling system” was to place education into the hands of headteachers and teachers rather than “bureaucrats”.The prime minister said his “vision for our schooling system” was to place education into the hands of headteachers and teachers rather than “bureaucrats”.
The move follows criticism of the government for going into stasis during the referendum campaign. Cameron and the chancellor, George Osborne, are keen to show that they are in charge of a “reforming” government.The move follows criticism of the government for going into stasis during the referendum campaign. Cameron and the chancellor, George Osborne, are keen to show that they are in charge of a “reforming” government.
Sources told the Guardian that the plans would be a key part of Osborne’s budget on Wednesday in order to start the process before officials are forced to shut down work because of the purdah ahead of the May elections and EU referendum.Sources told the Guardian that the plans would be a key part of Osborne’s budget on Wednesday in order to start the process before officials are forced to shut down work because of the purdah ahead of the May elections and EU referendum.
As the chancellor prepares to announce his budget against the backdrop of a deteriorating economic outlook, the government is keen to show that it is pressing ahead with reforms, despite the looming referendum.As the chancellor prepares to announce his budget against the backdrop of a deteriorating economic outlook, the government is keen to show that it is pressing ahead with reforms, despite the looming referendum.
The chancellor has faced claims of backing away from major reforms after he dropped proposals for a radical overhaul of tax relief for pension contributions.The chancellor has faced claims of backing away from major reforms after he dropped proposals for a radical overhaul of tax relief for pension contributions.
Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, who has been touted as a potential rival to Osborne for the Conservative leadership when the prime minister steps down, is expected to give more details of the plan for the education shake-up when she opens the House of Commons debate on the budget this Thursday. Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, who has been touted as a potential rival to Osborne for the Conservative leadership when the prime minister steps down, is expected to give more details of the plan for the education shakeup when she opens the House of Commons debate on the budget on Thursday.
She will also appear on the BBC’s Question Time programme on Thursday evening. The Treasury refused to comment.She will also appear on the BBC’s Question Time programme on Thursday evening. The Treasury refused to comment.
The plans are likely to be fiercely rejected by Labour, which argues that taking thousands of schools out of council control means that accountability and oversight falls on to Whitehall alone.The plans are likely to be fiercely rejected by Labour, which argues that taking thousands of schools out of council control means that accountability and oversight falls on to Whitehall alone.
Lucy Powell, the shadow schools minister, said there was “no evidence to suggest that academisation in and of itself leads to school improvement”.Lucy Powell, the shadow schools minister, said there was “no evidence to suggest that academisation in and of itself leads to school improvement”.
She pointed out that the chief inspector of schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw, had written to the secretary of state for Education highlighting serious weaknesses in academy chains. She pointed out that the chief inspector of schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw, had written to the secretary of state for education highlighting serious weaknesses in academy chains.
“How the government can plough ahead with the wholesale academisation of all schools in light of his evidence beggars belief. We want to see robust accountability and oversight of all schools regardless of type,” she said.“How the government can plough ahead with the wholesale academisation of all schools in light of his evidence beggars belief. We want to see robust accountability and oversight of all schools regardless of type,” she said.
Powell accused the government of offering nothing new , saying ministers should focus instead on teacher shortages, school places and inequalities.Powell accused the government of offering nothing new , saying ministers should focus instead on teacher shortages, school places and inequalities.
But the legislation is very likely to pass because the issue is widely supported by Conservatives, and the SNP would probably abstain on any votes affecting English education.But the legislation is very likely to pass because the issue is widely supported by Conservatives, and the SNP would probably abstain on any votes affecting English education.
The white paper will come just days before the government’s education and adoption bill is made law.
That bill was introduced to “sweep away bureaucratic and legal loopholes” and speed up the process of academisation of failing schools by taking them out of local authority control and putting them in the hands of academy sponsors.
When the education and adoption bill was introduced, the government estimated that up to 1,000 “failing” schools would be turned into academies as a result of its provisions.Of the more than 24,000 schools in England, about 5,000 are academies – 85% of primaries are still in local authority control – which gives some insight into the scale of the task ahead.
This latest legislation, however, takes the process further by putting into law the prime minister’s stated intention before the election to turn all schools – not just those that are failing – into academies.
The role of the local authority in the education of the nation’s children, which has been gradually eroded with the introduction of academies, will be virtually brought to an end by such legislation. More than half of secondary schools are academies, but most primaries remain under local authority control.
Schools and councils have been bracing themselves since the prime minister first outlined his education vision – they will be keen to know now the detail in terms of timing and process.
Former education secretary Michael Gove, who launched the Tories’ education plans, originally considered making all schools academies but pulled back at that stage because of the challenges it would pose.
Concerns have already been raised about whether there would be enough good sponsors to take on schools. With many more schools facing academisation, that task will be even greater at a time when some academy trusts are facing criticism for under-achievement.
MPs sitting on the education select committee announced this week they would be launching an inquiry into multiple academy trusts after a series of Ofsted inspections raised concerns.
Last week, the chief inspector of schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw, told Morgan that England’s largest academy chains had “serious weaknesses”, as bad as the local authorities they were intended to replace.
In a memo to the education secretary, he said: “Many of the trusts manifested the same weaknesses as the worst-performing local authorities and offered the same excuses. Indeed, one chief executive blamed parents for pupils’ poor attendance affecting pupils’ performance.
“There has been much criticism in the past of local authorities failing to take swift action with struggling schools. Given the impetus of the academies programme to bring about rapid improvement, it is of great concern that we are not seeing this in these seven MATs [multi-academy trusts] and that, in some cases, we have even seen decline.”
Teachers’ unions, who have been critical of the academisation process, said parents and teachers would be outraged. Kevin Courtney, the deputy general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), said: “Finally the government has come clean on its education priorities and admitted that its real agenda all along has been that every school must become an academy.
“The fig leaf of ‘parental choice’, ‘school autonomy’ and ‘raising standards’ has finally been dropped and the government’s real agenda has been laid bare – all schools removed from collaborative structures within a local authority family of schools, all schools instead run by remote academy trusts, unaccountable to parents, staff or local communities.”