What is in the coalition government's two education bills?

25 May 2010

So we are to have two schools-related Bills in the coming Parliament: a short, sharp Academies Bill immediately and an Education & Children Bill in the longer term.

The Academies Bill will enable more schools to become Academies and give them the 'freedoms and flexibilities they need to drive up standards'.

It will allow the Education Secretary to issue an order requiring a local authority to cease maintaining a school that wishes to become an Academy.  It will remove the requirement to consult the  local council before opening the Academy.

The Bill will for the first time allow primary schools and special schools to become Academies.

All schools judged to be 'outstanding' will be 'pre-approved' for Academy status.

The Education and Children Bill will give all state schools greater freedom over the curriculum whilst also slimming down the compulsory national curriculum.  It will also reform Ofsted and other accountability mechanisms.

It will introduce a reading test for 6 year-olds and will give teachers new powers to improve behaviour and to tackle bullying.

Finally it will introduce a pupil premium to ensure that more money follows the poorest pupils.

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