Warning on rush for school academies

A PLAN by Ministers to immediately grant academy status to hundreds of primary and secondary schools is "irresponsible", a union leader claims.

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), warned the newly named Department for Education against rushing plans to free schools from local authority control.

Tomorrow's Queen's Speech is expected to include an Education Bill which will set the wheels in motion for the Tories' planned education reforms.

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It is expected the Bill will contain measures that will allow schools rated as "outstanding" – up to 600 secondaries and as many as 2,000 primaries – to get academy freedoms by this September. This would mean they would no longer be under the control of their local council, and will receive funding direct instead.

Under plans put forward by the Tories in the run-up to the election, all schools will be able to apply to the Education Secretary for these freedoms, but the top schools will effectively be "pre-approved".

But Dr Bousted said: "To move this quickly is irresponsible."

She added: "I think this is really a question of more haste less speed. An expansion of the academies programme on this scale and bringing primary schools in begs more questions than answers."

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There will be concerns about how admissions to such schools will work, accountability, and who will deal with services like special education needs, usually provided by local authorities, as well as confusion among staff about their terms and conditions of employment, Dr Bousted suggested,

Dr John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the governing bodies of a "substantial number" of secondaries are likely to vote in favour of fast-track academy status, some to win greater freedoms, but more to take advantage of additional funding as a cushion in a tough financial climate.

"The Government must set out very clearly how the new academies will be funded so that the schools that remain in the local authority are not disadvantaged. A clear view of the role of the local authority will be required and they need to be given the funds to carry out that role properly.