The Government is sticking to its plans to force all schools to become academies - but may have left the door open for them to continue working with local authorities.
Legislation to force all state schools in England to become academies will be announced in the Queen’s Speech, prime minister David Cameron confirmed in parliament yesterday.
The announcement on May 18 is expected to include the legal process the government will use to force schools which don’t convert of their own accord to make the change.
Under the government’s plans all schools will have to become academies by 2022, while those that haven’t either converted or made plans to do so by 2020 will be forced to make the change.
Several news outlets claimed education secretary Nicky Morgan was planning to give councils the power to start multi-academy trusts.
Some observers, including shadow education secretary Lucy Powell, have speculated that the power of compulsion might not feature in the legislation, and could instead be 'camouflaged amongst other measures'.
