Civil service and RSCs "lack capacity" to deal with academies drive: LGA

There is a serious lack of capacity and capability within the civil service and Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) to deal with the Government’s school academisation agenda, the Local Government Association has claimed.

In a report the LGA noted that:

• The eight RSCs were now responsible for almost a quarter of schools in England (5,000+ academies and free schools).
• Nearly half a million pupils were in academies that had been assessed by Ofsted as either inadequate or requiring improvement since conversion. Each RSC was working with, on average, nearly 100 academies rated less than good.
• 45% of sponsored academies were still awaiting their first full Ofsted inspection.
• Council-maintained schools outperformed academies in every RSC region of the country.

Under the Education and Adoption Act 2016 RSCs have been given parallel powers with councils to intervene in council-maintained schools, with councils having to ask permission from RSCs before they use their powers to turn around failing schools. 

The LGA also highlighted how councils’ legal role in overseeing and improving school standards is proposed to come to an end under the Education for All Bill, which will be considered by Parliament early next year.

Cllr Richard Watts, Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Local councils have consistently proven themselves to be more effective at raising school standards than Regional School Commissioners, and this is no surprise. Each council is working with fewer schools, who they have good, long-standing relationships with, and they know what’s needed in their local areas. It is simply asking too much to expect RSCs to effectively turn around dozens of schools across a huge area.

“Clearly where a school is failing, regardless of whether it’s council-maintained or an academy that an RSC is responsible for, action must be taken swiftly to raise standards. However, that action will be different for every school, and simply changing a structure is rarely the answer. Schools must have the freedom to choose the best structure for their pupils, whether that’s working with their council, a sponsor or the local RSC.

“Placing more and more power in the hands of few unelected civil servants, who parents cannot hold to account at the ballot box is out of sync with the Government’s aims to devolve more decision-making and responsibility down to local areas and communities. With the Government planning to end councils’ role in supporting school improvement and intervening in failing schools from next year, we have yet to be convinced that RSCs have the track record or the capacity to take on responsibility for another 13,000 schools.

“We would urge the Government to re-consider its plans for full academisation and to focus on working with councils to ensure all our children get the excellent education they deserve.”