Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether in all circumstances warning notices will be issued to schools prior to an academy order being issued; and what is the estimated cost for a single school academy conversion.

The Education and Adoption Bill proposes that swift action will be taken when a school is judged inadequate by Ofsted. 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 will automatically become eligible for intervention without the need for a warning notice. Becoming eligible for intervention in this way will not necessarily mean the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) will issue an academy order. Schools may have the capacity to improve and, where this is sufficient, they will be given the opportunity to demonstrate such improvement. Under the Bill, RSCs will be able to intervene where a coasting school does not have sufficient capacity to improve.

Some of these schools may require additional support and challenge, which RSCs can help to provide, for example from National Leaders of Education. Where necessary RSCs will also be able to progress academisation for these schools, bringing in new leadership where it is needed. In other cases of underperformance, the school may be issued with a warning notice. Where there is failure to comply with a warning notice an academy order may be made.

Costs vary according to type of project, and it would be very difficult to provide an average cost per academy based on total spent and number of academies opened.