Guest post: Nicky Morgan - "Why academisation is best for our schools"

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As parents, we all want the best for our children. We want to make sure they have access to the best opportunities and to help them grow up into well-rounded adults. Making sure that our children have a high quality education is a key part of that.

I want to outline exactly what academisation means and why I truly believe this is the best way forward for our schools. Our children only have one shot at receiving the best education and I am committed to ensuring this happens as swiftly as possible.

We need to put our trust into the hands of the people that know best how to run our schools - the teachers - and the academy system does just that. tells you more about what an academy is. It gives schools greater autonomy to make the decisions that are right for their community and pupils. After all, we have the finest generation of teachers ever and being part of an academy helps put the power back in their hands.

The most recent results show that the percentage of pupils achieving the expected level in reading, writing and maths at the end of Key Stage 2 in primary academies has risen by 4%, from 67% in 2014 to 71% in 2015. Additionally, when it comes to secondary, it's a similar story with converter academies which are performing 7.2% above the national average, with 64.3% of pupils achieving five good GCSEs.

However, a dynamic school system where all schools are academies is just one part of a much wider plan to improve our education system which I set out yesterday in our white paper.

It is every parent's right to know their child is in an excellent school no matter where in the country they live. I am confident that this move will guarantee a higher school standard with each academy held to account for the performance of their pupils.

Ultimately, I am committed to making it easier for you as a parent to play an even more active role in your child's education. In essence, I want to put young people and parents first – something that might sound obvious, but the truth is that for too long parents have been an afterthought in our education system. We want you as parents to have a much stronger voice in what happens to your child during their school years, because we know that you want the very best for your child.

So how are we doing that? Firstly, I am well aware that the education system can appear complex to many parents. I am dedicated to changing this once and for all, and putting the control firmly back in your hands. As a result of this, I plan to introduce a new, online Parents Portal from as early as next year. This portal will enable parents' access to key information and allow you to support your child's learning.

Alongside this, we have changed the curriculum and the way that students will be assessed. This will help to raise standards and make sure that your child leaves school with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. It is imperative that every child fulfils their potential, and this includes stretching the most able pupils.

More young people will also study the EBacc - a combination of maths, English, two sciences, a humanity and a language - up to the age of 16. And the exams and qualifications young people are awarded will set a new international gold standard that is respected by employers, helping them to succeed in our increasingly global world.

I am a firm believer that an exceptional education transforms children's futures and everything outlined in this White Paper is committed to ensuring that parents and pupils come first. Our goal must always be to ensure every single child leaves school with the best education and the opportunity to excel in adult life. I believe that together, we can achieve that goal.

How can Morgan justify saying Government reforms put parents in the driving seat when the latest Bill removes the requirement to have parents on school governing bodies? She obviously thinks parents are too stupid to realise this. Her patronising remark above about parents finding the school system in England complicated demonstrates that.

I am officially amazed then Pretty.

How can you be such a staunch defender of academisation when you don't know that it improves or even maintains the standard of children's education by your own definition of what could show that?

They just lie and lie and lie.

They crow about the amount of people in work, but the jobs are poorly paid and don't pay enough to meet your bills. They are doing nothing about affordable housing and are selling the little that remains. They are making changes to the NHS that make my blood run cold, yet they are proud of their record. They are screwing over junior doctors but claim the changes are for their benefit. They push more children into poverty then change the definition of poverty. Now they claim that forced academisation puts teachers in charge! How when the demoralised overworked teachers will just lose their rights to fair pay and conditions, how is that possibly helping teachers? They claim they are giving more control to parents parents yet are removing parent governors.

It is just one lie after another yet muppets still vote for them because they are good with the economy, unlike labour. That is another lie too but why let the truth get in the way.

however, you are yet to put forward any compelling argument in favour of academies.

The only thing there is a compelling argument for is change.
I posted pages ago that I believe something needs to change, and under the current government, it's inevitable that the changes they propose will fit with their overall ideology which is to remove service delivery from local authorities.
The very nature of politics means that once in power, the services the government control will reflect the wider strategy. I don't know why I've been accused of being a troll for expressing that view!

I'm willing to try and make this work - on the basis that there isn't compelling evidence to support any particular model.

As for my job; I provide strategic training and development to professionals within the sector - across all types of school.

Even the DfE document she links to debunks the statistic about converter academies doing better...

"Converter academies have a higher proportion of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C grades including English and maths than the average for state-funded schools. This may be explained by the fact that these were already high performing schools that chose to convert to academies."

Politics aside.

If good evidence proved that every school becoming an academy would improve education for all, i would not be so strongly opposed to this. There is no such evidence.

Pretty, why spend limited funds, time and effort on a change if it won't have a positive effect? You can't just experiment with ideas that will have a massive affect on children's lives.

There isn't a proven model that is guaranteed to work though. There's no evidence that maintaining LAs will improve education either - any changes within that model would be experiments, too.

Maybe they're intent on turning education into a rote learning, non-creative, non-questioning system so future generations swallow the absolute twaddle they spout & can't spot how statistics have been twisted. How handy it would be for them if the electorate really were too stupid to notice when they are lying.

Schools can already choose to become academies. Some have been forced into it, many have chosen to jump before they are pushed.
If they haven't become academies that's because 'the people that know best how to run our schools - the teachers' have decided that staying within LA control is better for the education of the students.

This gives me the rage on so many levels I am like a fricking skyscraper of fury!!!!!

Parent Portal- what the chuff is that?!?! Is it like the VLEs that already exist in thousands of schools up and down the country?! And that is it? So, it doesn't matter that parent governor posts are being disbanded and that accountability no longer rests with an elected local authority.
Not to mention the huge budget cuts being imposed on schools this year and next. Honestly, I feel like I might need to leave the country so that my kids can have a decent stab at life somewhere else. Nicky Morgan you are completely out of touch and a disgrace

Just what can we do, apart from sign the petitions, which I have already done? Somehow we must harness this energy.

There needs to be some sort of protest - not just teachers but parents and grandparents and anyone else who is concerned about the country's future - ideally linked in with the junior doctors and NHS workers as well as disabled rights groups

Pretty So forcing change to academy status on ALL our schools is ok because 'There is no proof that any change will work!'

Do you actually know why that is?? That's because the government change the goal posts by so much so often that our teachers and children can't keep up. They don't give any new idea time to have evidence for or against it before they change it. How can they collect reliable data? They can't and that's the point!!
You say LAs don't work, but the goalposts for them keep changing.
You train teachers you say - how long has it been (if at all) since you have actually taught children for any extended period of time?

drama Just so we are clear, I do not train teachers. I am not a teaching practitioner.
Teachers are not the only professionals in school - although it's interesting that is the conclusion you have jumped to.

drama I don't think pretty trains teachers - she says she provides strategic development so possibly employed by SLT to improve data and support the implementation of new initiatives.

The UK Statistics Authority censured the DfE for its use of international test data. It criticised it again for linking an opinion piece from school performance stats making it appear the opinion had statistical validity. Morgan was criticised TWICE for her use of Key Stage 2 literacy and numeracy figures. Now she gets round it by adding the adverb 'properly' to any announcement about the ability of 11 year-olds to read and write.

Dodgy stats after dodgy stats. And who can forget Gove's use of surveys by UK TVGold and Premier Inn to underpin his claim that UK teenagers were ignorant about history?

Pretty, I think what people want to know is, what is your vested interest? Will you benefit from schools being forced to become academies?

Why is the Government so keen on turning all England's schools into academies? It's because academies are technically 'independent' and can outsource their running to for-profit education providers. Gove made that clear before the 2010 election when he told Policy Exchange he would let Serco run schools if it wanted to. The link to the YouTube clip is here: www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2011/10/gove-is-in-favour-of-profit-making-companies-running-state-schools/%23sthash.hzb5uyax.dpuf

I think what people want to know is, what is your vested interest? Will you benefit from schools being forced to become academies?

No vested interest - quite the opposite; removal of LA involvement in school improvement will impact on how I do my job.

I'm not passionately committed to academies. Some work, some don't. But I'm prepared to work within the system to do the best I can for DCs, rather than invest energy in trying to change something that is outside my sphere of influence.
Teachers on this thread said that they knew this was the government agenda when they went to the ballot box last year. That was the time to object. In my opinion, it's too late now.

jellyfrizz - those who stand to benefit from academisation are lawyers who handle conversions. It would cost nearly £500m to convert all remaining schools in grants alone although 'Schools Week' reports that schools may have to start paying a proportion of conversion fees themselves. schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-may-be-forced-to-pay-conversion-costs/ But as the money that goes to schools is taxpayers' money, it's us that ends up with the bill.
Also to benefit: auditors who have to audit the accounts of every academy or multi-academy trust (MAT). And MAT trustees, of course, awarding the CEOs and executive principals mouthwatering salaries, or bunging contracts to firms connected to trustees or their relatives.

I apologise pretty - I am not a teacher either but a TA. I assumed you trained teachers because you seem to know so much about what sorts of workloads they can handle and how is beat for them to teach etc etc.

biddy that would make sense! (Searches for a 'lightbulb' smiley with a 'I should've known type face'...)

Abuelita - my understanding is that the overall cost of converting schools will be far higher than that. New Sponsors will receive a significant amount of start-up funding from the Government in addition to the grant given to the schools themselves.

I hope that existing good and outstanding schools will consider becoming a sponsor for other schools in their local area within an MAT - I think there would be a great deal of benefit for DCs from that.

I assumed you trained teachers because you seem to know so much about what sorts of workloads they can handle and how is beat for them to teach etc etc.

I assume that you are confusing my posts with someone else - it's a long thread. I have not, in any of my posts, expressed an opinion on teachers workload or practice - and I resent the implication that I am disrespecting teachers in that way.

PrettyBrightFireflies - it is not too late. The Government's already reversed plans over disability benefits because Tory MPs began to realise the policy was toxic. It's the same with academization. Even the Tory chair of the Education Select Committee, Neil Carmichael, has said the DfE approach to major education change has been 'Acting first; thinking later'.

It's not just academization: exam reforms have been introduced too hastily and without trialling; pupils, especially primary ones, are subjected to far more tests than are considered necessary in the rest of the developed world; the national curriculum has been rewritten (although academies are technically supposed to be able to opt out); there's a crisis in school place supply; teacher recruitment is in chaos; teacher retention is poor; creative subjects are being squeezed out of the curriculum.

That's without considering the DfE's considered opinion on how the use of exclamation marks should be marked in Key Stage 2 tests. This nit-picking centralised control from a Government which talks about 'freedom'. www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2016/03/down-filthy-hags-how-the-bards-exclamation-marks-would-fail-ks2-tests-0