Member

Alongside provision of RISE support where appropriate, we have been clear that academy orders will continue to be issued to the worst-performing schools, including by default those placed in special measures, and to other failing schools that do not improve after RISE intervention. The noble Baroness, Lady Barran, again highlighted the concern she raised in Committee that repealing this duty and replacing it with a discretionary power would lead to delays due to increased legal challenges to decisions to intervene, but there is no compelling evidence for this assertion. In fact, there is evidence to the contrary, because the previous Government had a policy of issuing academy orders to coasting maintained schools, and they relied on a discretionary power to do so, not a duty. As a result of this policy, more than 100 coasting maintained schools were converted into sponsored academies by January 2025—sped up, incidentally, under this Government. In relation to these schools, there is no evidence of systemic delays to intervention due to legal challenges.