Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether a warning notice will be issued before each academy order is issued.

The Education and Adoption Bill proposes that swift action will be taken when a school is judged inadequate by Ofsted and under the Bill an academy order would be made without first issuing a warning notice.

Where a school meets the new Education and Adoption Bill definition of coasting it would become eligible for intervention automatically without the need for a warning notice. Becoming eligible for intervention in this way will not necessarily mean the Regional Schools Commissioner will issue an academy order however. Under the bill, Regional Schools Commissioners will be able to intervene where a coasting school does not have the capacity to improve.

In other cases of underperformance, the school may be issued with a warning notice. Where there is failure to comply an academy order may be made.