Mounting opposition from councils against Government's academy plan

Conservative-led county councils West Sussex and Warwickshire are the latest local authorities to write to education secretary Nicky Morgan opposing the plans.

Mounting opposition from councils to the plans is coming to light as they are responding formally to the proposals set out in the education White Paper.

The leader of West Sussex County Council has written to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan with her concerns.

County council leader Louise Goldsmith has warned that the plans will make it harder for councils to fulfil statutory duties to provide enough school places for children and to provide for vulnerable children.

In her letter she said, ‘I have reservations that the “one size fits all” academies approach that ministers are proposing does not seem to promote any benefits to pupils and parents in West Sussex.”’

She also said that the county council feels there is not a strong enough voice for the parent and child in the approach.

The response, which has also been sent to all headteachers in the county, said, ‘We have very specific concerns about how vulnerable children will fare under the proposals – a statutory responsibility that will rightly remain with the council but with very few powers to help us to fulfil that duty.’

The issue was debated at a full council meeting last week at which, ‘Councillors of all political persuasions were united in their concerns about a lack of democratic accountability inherent within the proposals as they stand,’ she said.

‘Other concerns were raised about the council’s ability to fulfil current and residual statutory responsibilities, financial efficiency and the possibility of a very bureaucratic system being imposed. Above all else there was a sense that good outcomes for children and young people were not driving the proposed reforms – especially for the most vulnerable children.’

With 82 per cent of schools in the county graded good or outstanding the letter also argues that there is no need to force change to improve standard and no evidence to suggest that having multi-academy trusts (MATSs) running all schools will deliver better results.

Warwickshire County Council is another council that has expressed it concerns.

Councillors of all political parties rejected the Government’s plans at a council meeting on Thursday.

In a letter to the DfE, county council leader Izzi Seccombe, said, ‘We feel the forced academisation of schools takes choice away from parents and communities and removes local, democratic control. This places us, and all other local authorities, in an impossible position.

‘It creates a period of five years when local authorities will be responsible for maintaining schools and will be the nominal employer of the staff in those schools, but will have no remit to monitor, support or challenge the quality of education they provide.

‘Local authorities continue to be regarded by parents as the first port of call when they have a problem.

 ‘This is likely to have a significant impact on issues such as school place planning, fair access and provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.’

Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Birmingham and Leicester councils have also come out against the plans.

A number of Conservative MPs have also spoken out against the forced academisation plan and earlier this week David Cameron came under pressure to defend the move during Prime Minister’s Questions.

Meanwhile, the FT reported that the Government was putting brakes on the academisation policy after facing strong opposition from its own backbenchers and Conservative party members. A senior Tory aide was reported as saying, ‘We haven’t spelt out the legislative programme yet but you are talking about six years [before the deadline] – this is not something that’s going to happen in the coming weeks or months.’