The government’s target for all schools to be in or preparing to join multi-academy trusts by 2030 is all but dead, with another key white paper pledge for councils to set up their own trusts also axed.
A Schools Week analysis of the 42 main proposals from the Opportunity for All white paper, published in March last year, found just 19 have been implemented or are still on track.
There have been five education secretaries since the paper was launched, with the resulting schools bill, which proposed legislation to help meet many of the policies, also canned last year.
But dropping two of the paper’s main policies to boost academisation – neither of which required legislation – marks a major shift in policy under education secretary Gillian Keegan.
