Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will allow William Torbitt primary school in Ilford North to remain as a local authority school because of its recent increases in standards.

It is right that the department acts robustly and quickly where there is evidence of failure. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, is under a duty to make an academy order for all maintained schools that have been judged Inadequate by Ofsted, requiring them to become an academy and receive additional support from a sponsor. We have a responsibility to ensure all pupils are getting a great education, and we will be unapologetic in acting where pupils’ education is suffering. This school was properly issued an Academy Order on 24 September 2018 following an Inadequate judgement published on 18 September 2018.

The Regional Schools Commissioner for the East of England and North East London has had discussions with the London Borough of Redbridge about the proposed academisation of this school.

Ofsted revisited William Torbitt Primary School on 9 January 2019. The department will consider the outcome of that inspection and whether the findings merit the revocation of the Academy Order.