Failing schools to become academies

Great to meet mums and children at Stepping Stones nursery - telling them about our plan for 30 hours free childcare.
Great to meet mums and children at Stepping Stones nursery – telling them about our plan for 30 hours free childcare.

Under new government plans,up to 1,000 schools in England, including all those rated inadequate by Ofsted, will be turned into academies.

The Education and Adoption Bill seeks to “remove bureaucratic and legal loopholes” that slow up the process of turning failing schools into academies.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said schools would be improved faster by academy sponsorship under the plans reports BBC.

Labour said the “divisive” bill missed the challenges faced by schools.

The government says campaigners have too often been able to delay or overrule the process by which schools deemed failing become academies.

Ministers believe debates surrounding some attempts to impose academy status result in too many pupils “languishing in underperforming schools”.

Under the bill, the regional commissioners would take on the responsibility for making academy orders, and the requirement for potential academy sponsors to consult with the local community would be scrapped.

The bill sets out measures to turn all schools deemed to be failing into academies, doubling the current rate.

Currently, schools are said to be failing if rated inadequate by Ofsted and missing government benchmarks on results and pupil progress, but the bill is expected to set out new yardsticks.