Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill

Lord Bishop of Leicester Excerpts

Friday 24th October 2025 Lords Chamber

[The Lord Bishop of Leicester]

My Lords, I rise to speak in support of this Bill, at the encouragement of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Derby, who regrets that she cannot be in her place today.

Noble Lords may be aware that we on these Benches have a team of Bishops—the right reverend Prelates the Bishops of Derby, Gloucester and Lichfield—who regularly visit prisons across the nation, meeting with those in prison, prison chaplains and prison governors, to hear about ongoing challenges and successes. They in particular are pleased to see this Bill enjoy cross-party support and are heartened that so many noble Lords and colleagues in another place share the conclusion that secure academies are a more promising alternative to giving children a custodial sentence. They are, fundamentally, educational establishments at the heart of work to rehabilitate, not simply penalise and ostracise, children.

We on these Benches are also encouraged by the Government’s aim to tailor the educational accommodation offer for children to the needs of each child individually. The teenage years are a crucial time in the emotional, mental and physical development of children. If they become disengaged from society at this critical juncture, it has a profound and enduring impact on the rest of their lives.

The Bill makes an important change to how consultation is carried out for secure academies. It does not, however, specify the appropriate persons to be consulted. We on these Benches would suggest that faith communities and chaplains should play a role in these discussions, as they have a pastoral and spiritual responsibility to the young people they serve. I know that the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Derby is keen to follow progress regarding the temporary closure of the Oasis Restore secure school last month and the potential second secure school that the Youth Custody Service plans to open in the coming months.

I conclude by saying that any policy developed for children in custody must adhere to the principle that criminal justice for children should not, indeed cannot, simply follow a blueprint taken from the criminal justice system for adults. Children deserve their own separate care and consideration, and I am pleased that this Bill recognises that necessity.