Member

Amendment 445B proposes retaining the duty to issue academy orders, with an exemption where no suitable sponsor trust is available. I appreciate the noble Baroness’s intent to avoid “stuck” schools, but Clause 50 already addresses this issue by removing the duty altogether. I will not repeat why we believe that structural intervention is not always the most appropriate immediate response, but I emphasise that removing the automatic trigger for academisation enables us to deploy targeted school support swiftly, through RISE teams, in order to reinforce schools’ efforts. Given the lengthy time that it can take to academise a failing school, this amendment would constrain our ability to act in the best interests of children.