Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether their assessment of the market impact of Oak National Academy in the educational publishing sector was made prior to that organisation becoming an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Education.

The decision to establish Oak National Academy was taken with due regard to a robust assessment of market impact, which was informed by the commercial sector. Monitoring market impact is a priority and will continue throughout Oak National Academy’s lifetime. Results will be factored into the body’s ongoing evaluation and two-year review.

As an integral part of the process to set up Oak National Academy as an arm’s length body, the department produced a business case which included an assessment of potential market impact, including in the educational publishing sector. This business case was published on GOV.UK on 1 November 2022: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oak-national-academy-business-case.