Schools give DfE a lesson in overturning forced academisation orders
A recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed that more than 50 schools have successfully overturned forced academisation orders.
A number of head teachers have now spoken out about their legal challenges, with one explaining that although they were not against the basic principle of academisation, they objected to the timing and the trust they had been paired with.
Some schools facing forced academisation as a result of unfavourable Ofsted reports, subsequently managed to turn around their ratings, leading to successful appeals.
The FOI request by Schools Week recently discovered that 52 academy orders have been revoked since the introduction of an escape clause in 2016, although the DfE claims that they are only allowed in “exceptional circumstances”.
In 2022, eight academy conversions were abandoned following appeals.
However, some schools have found that even a successful turnaround following a poor Ofsted inspection, does not automatically lead to the halting of forced academisation.
Andrew Murray, Head Teacher at Chadwick High School in Lancaster, said he was left frustrated that, following an ‘inadequate’ rating in 2017, a ‘good’ rating three years later did not automatically stop the conversion.
The school did eventually succeed in revoking the academisation order, with Mr Murray claiming that delays at county council level had delayed the process.
Yew Tree Primary School in Walsall successfully took the DfE to the High Court in 2021 to halt forced academisation.
Head Teacher, Jamie Barry has since admitted that the school is now considering fresh plans for academisation. He commented: “We were never saying it’s the wrong thing, just the wrong time and trust.
“Now we’ve got a stable school, supporting others and with admissions up, we’d look for one aligned with our values and where we’d complement them.”
Former DfE adviser, Mark Lehain, has suggested that the issue of schools being forced into academisation with a less than desirable sponsor could be overcome with the creation of a government-funded, independent “MATchmaker” or “Tinder for Trusts” service that could informally connect schools and MATs. Contact us for assistance.
