The schools bill – government’s proposed blueprint to reform the academy system and lay the groundwork to finish off its multi-academy trust revolution – has finally been ditched.
What happens now? Schools Week investigates…
It’s official. On Wednesday the education secretary announced the sinking of the schools bill.
But while Gillian Keegan said it “will not progress”, she also said she remained “committed” to its aims – and signalled various measures that would make a comeback.
The government still hopes to introduce powers and duties over home, private and illegal schooling, teacher misconduct, council attendance work and pupils not in school.
It will also seek to revive plans removing barriers to faith and grammar schools joining multi-academy trusts, and push national funding formula reforms without legislation.
But the remaining academy reforms that required new laws have been ditched.
