Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Alison McGovern Excerpts
Monday 10th February 2014

(10 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Michael Gove Portrait Michael Gove
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The hon. Lady is absolutely right, and had she been fortunate enough to join me at the London Academy of Excellence last week she would have seen a free school that is outperforming an independent school. The next time I have the opportunity to visit an outstanding academy or free school, I hope she will come with me to see what the state sector is capable of achieving to outpace and outperform the private sector.

Alison McGovern Portrait Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)
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The Lyndale school in south Wirral is a very small but excellent school. It is not currently an academy and it is under threat of closure. One of the options for saving it involves it becoming an academy, so if parents and I can find a way to keep the school sustainable, will the Secretary of State stand ready to help us?

Michael Gove Portrait Michael Gove
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Absolutely; I very much enjoyed visiting the Wirral just two weeks ago, and I will do anything I can to work with the hon. Lady to help the children and teachers in that school.