Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Michael Gove and John Denham

Monday 24th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Michael Gove]

My hon. Friend makes a very powerful point. It is incumbent on the Labour leadership of Lancashire county council to do as other enlightened Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat local authorities have done and support academy providers in turning around underperforming schools.

[Mr John Denham (Southampton, Itchen) (Lab)]

T6. In a reply slipped out on Budget day, Ministers confirmed the hitherto secret list of 14 academy chains that have been barred from taking on further schools, and other unnamed chains are causing concern. Does the Secretary of State agree that such secrecy not only wasted months of work by Woodlands school in Southampton in abortive discussions with Academies Enterprise Trust, but is damaging public confidence? Is it not time to allow Ofsted to inspect academy chains, as it does local authorities?

[Michael Gove]

Ofsted already inspects academy chains. It has inspected both E-ACT and AET.