Nicky Morgan says Government will take swift action to deal with failing academies
Ms Morgan has tabled an amendment to legislation ensuring academies can be subjected to 'robust action'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Government is to take swift action to deal with failing academies, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has revealed.
Under legislation going through Parliament, ministers were seeking new powers to intervene in the case of failing local authority schools - and face them with the prospect of being forced to become academies.
However, now Ms Morgan has tabled an amendment to the legislation ensuring academies can be “held to account” and subjected to “robust action” too. It would enable ministers to insist on failing and “coasting” academies being taken over by another sponsor.
The moves comes just a week after chief schools inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw revealed in his annual report that 99 schools rated “good” or “outstanding” under local authority control are no longer providing a decent standard of education now they have become academies.
“Underperformance is unacceptable where-ever it occurs - whether that is in a maintained school or academy,” Ms Morgan said. She said she had already issued 122 notices to improve to academies.
“Belatedly, the Government has recognised the nonsense of having a two=tier performance system which treats schools linked to their local authority more harshly than academies,” said Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers.
Lucy Powell. Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, added: “It’s been clear for a long time that academies can fail or can need intervention.
“Just because they have become an academy or party of a chain doesn’t mean that a school will automatically succeed.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments