Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has plans to (a) introduce and (b) increase the requirements whereby academy trusts engage with local communities when implementing major changes.

The department’s ‘Making significant changes to an academy’ guidance, sets out the process academy trusts must follow when making changes to an academy, such as expansion or removal of capacity, by more than 30 places, or a change in age range. Academy trusts are required to undertake a fair and open local consultation on any significant changes they are proposing, prior to submitting proposals to the department.

The consultation is a key part of the process and allows both proposers and decision makers to take on board the views of those affected by any proposed change. The department expects a wide range of stakeholders to be consulted, including the local authority, parents in the area and other schools and providers in the area. We expect all academy trusts to work collaboratively with local authorities and other local partners on place planning matters.

This is why, in the King’s Speech, the government committed to legislating on requiring all schools to cooperate with their local authorities on issues such as admissions and place planning.