The House of Commons education committee has spent the morning grilling academics, think tank leaders and faith school bosses about multi-academy trusts. Here is what we learned.
1. Academies don’t necessarily offer autonomy to their schools and teachers
Some leading academics agreed this morning that the ‘freedom’ which supporters of the academies programme often talk about in relation to conversion isn’t always seen on the ground.
In fact, Dr Melanie Ehren, reader in educational accountability and improvement, at the UCL Institute of Education claimed trust were often putting pressure on schools to do things a certain way.
"We've been talking to teachers who tell us their trust tells them to do testing every 2-3 weeks. That's not autonomy" – @melcm #edselctte
— Schools Week LIVE (@SchoolsWeekLive) September 7, 2016
Professor Merryn Hutchings, co-author of the Sutton Trust’s Chain Effects report, said schools were also under pressure from government testing requirements.
"I don't think our schools do have that much autonomy," says Hutchings. Mentions expected standards, phonics checks, etc #edselctte
— Schools Week LIVE (@SchoolsWeekLive) September 7, 2016
"The freedom they receive is freedom to teach to the test," says Prof Hutchings. Says this isn't helpful. #edselctte
— Freddie Whittaker (@FCDWhittaker) September 7, 2016
2. Academy status is not a ‘silver bullet’ for school improvement
This phrase is often used, and that’s probably because it’s true. Most research which looks at the performance of schools before and after they convert to become academies shows that the change does not always boost a school’s results.
A study published this morning by the Education Policy Institute and London School of Economics has reinforced that view, and Natalie Perera, from the EPI, was quizzed about this during the hearing.
.@stephenctimms, clearly an avid reader, mentions our EPI study story from this morning. @natalieperera1 says care needed in interpretation
— Schools Week LIVE (@SchoolsWeekLive) September 7, 2016
.@natalieperera1 says it's difficult to say whether improvement seen in sponsored academies is sustained over longer period #edselctte
— Freddie Whittaker (@FCDWhittaker) September 7, 2016
Hutchings: "I don't think there's any automatic rule that academy status will create improvement, even for the worst schools" #edselctte
— Schools Week LIVE (@SchoolsWeekLive) September 7, 2016
3. We don’t know how realistic the government’s 1,000 new MATs target is, or whether the system can cope
The national schools commissioner Sir David Carter has talked about the need for 1,000 new multi-academy trusts by 2020, but the jury is out on whether this can indeed be facilitated.
Asked about how realistic 1,000 new MATs target is, @natalieperera1 says we need better understanding of what makes MATs strong #edselctte
— Schools Week LIVE (@SchoolsWeekLive) September 7, 2016
Hutchings says @Carter6D has said RSCs "already know what makes a good MAT", but hasn't communicated it to the world #edselctte
— Freddie Whittaker (@FCDWhittaker) September 7, 2016
There are also doubts about the ability of the relevant government departments and agencies to handle such an expansion.
Asked by @marionfellowsmp if DfE and EFA are capable of handling MAT expansion, Merryn Hutchings says "probably not" #edselctte
— Schools Week LIVE (@SchoolsWeekLive) September 7, 2016
4. Community schools could end up under the control of MATs with majority-religious boards
Andrew Copson, the chief executive of the British Humanists Association, has raised fears about the impact that “mixed MATs” – trusts with religious and non-religious schools in them – will have on non-faith schools.
.@andrewcopson says @BHAhumanists concerned that mixed MATs give religious organisations "undue influence" over community schools #edselctte
— Schools Week LIVE (@SchoolsWeekLive) September 7, 2016
Copson says the governance arrangements of MATs are weighted in favour of religious schools, and said a religious body would have the right to a majority on a MAT board if just one of the schools within the trust was a former voluntary-aided religious school, even if the majority of institutions in the MAT were former community schools with no faith ethos.
Copson says there are 350 former community schools in mixed MATs. Their gov bodies "will be appointed by religiously-dominated MAT board"
— Freddie Whittaker (@FCDWhittaker) September 7, 2016
"I think there is an acquisitive side to the Church of England's policy," says @andrewcopson #edselctte
— Schools Week LIVE (@SchoolsWeekLive) September 7, 2016
But Nigel Genders, chief education officer for the Church of England said the reality was that where community schools came into MATs controlled by church appointees, they were “absolutely clear about the community school being safeguarded”.
5. New Catholic schools will only open where parents want them
Paul Barber, from the Catholic Education Service, sought to reassure MPs about the expansion of faith schools by insisting they would be driven by demand.
Paul Barber says @CathEdService not looking to expand apart from where there is parental demand for more Catholic education #edselctte
— Schools Week LIVE (@SchoolsWeekLive) September 7, 2016
No autonomy! It’s not a silver bullet! This is not news. I think this was pretty obvious from the start. Why do we have to have a level of debate that doesn’t even acknowledge the whole thing was political interference driven by market ideals not educational ones. It’s not ‘news’ that schools don’t improve just because they’ve become academies; it was perfectly obvious from the start that this would be the outcome. The desired results are there but they have little to do with educational improvement: a dismantling of state provision by any means necessary.
Six years down the line and the ‘expert opinion’ so hated by Gove and others is shown to be correct. What a waste of billions of pounds for cosmetic structural change. What a waste of the time and energy of good Heads and teachers. What a damning indictment of ideological change pushed through with no consideration of the potential chaos that has ensued in so many schools.
Granted many good schools have converted and, surprise, surprise they have still been good, but far too many have fallen or been passed around from trust to trust like an unwanted Christmas present. The change to an academy does not mean a school ‘will’ become good. It’s as likely (if not more likely) to fail and get worse.
The focus should be on teaching and learning NOT the destruction of local authorities and the privatisation of our school system. Our local communities deserve better and it’s parents, teachers and the pupils that will change schools not Ministers ideological beliefs.
Billions of pounds has been spent on academization, as you say. And the costs will continue – not just with academy conversion but with academies changing hands. The Government is dragging its feet on publishing how much academy transfer costs. http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2016/07/exclusive-dfe-wont-confirm-when-academy-transfer-costs-will-be-published-is-this-foot-dragging
‘They create a prison and call it freedom’. http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2011/12/%E2%80%9Cthey-create-a-prison-and-call-it-freedom-%E2%80%9D-schools-education-providers-and-autonomy