Education: Academy Chains

Baroness Hussein-Ece Excerpts

Wednesday 15th January 2014 Lords Chamber

[Lord Nash]

I agree entirely with the noble Lord. Many schools that are highly successful are not academies. The noble Baroness, Lady Jones, recently took me to visit Morpeth School in Tower Hamlets, which is an excellent example of a non-academy, highly successful school.

[Baroness Hussein-Ece (LD)]

Who are some of these academy chains responsible or accountable to? For example, the Academies Enterprise Trust has grown to the size of a local authority. At least local authorities are accountable to the electorate. Who is AET accountable to when it has more than 60 company directors on more than £60,000 a year?

[Lord Nash]

All academy chains have a rigid financial reporting system. They have to publish their accounts and are actively and rigorously monitored by my department. I assure the noble Baroness that we keep a keen eye on all the academy chains.