An independent commission has been established in response to the rapid academisation of the English school system.
Headed by the RSA and Pearson, other partners include the Cooperative Movement, CfBT, the Institute of Education and Teach First. The commissioners are former HMCI Christine Gilbert; Teach First's CEO Brett Wigdortz and the Director of the Institute of Education, Chris Husbands.
Their remit is: 'The Commission will examine the model and incipient outcomes of academisation from a school improvement perspective, focusing on issues of accountability, governance, due diligence, and outcomes for pupils. It will highlight emerging trends, risks, and related questions, concentrating on public interest. It will also draw on international examples of similar systems and cases, to inform and compare analyses.
It will not rehearse debates about the decision to develop the academies programme, but will focus on the consequences of this programme in terms of outcomes for children and young people and for the education system as a whole. Particular attention will be given to the key issues of:
• accountability including processes via which schools are held accountable; the role of the sponsor; commissioning of services; governance; operation of local markets; due diligence (e.g. what happens when performance worsens or fails to improve under a particular sponsor or chain?)
• educational outcomes and how to lever school improvement in an academised system, given school autonomy'
The inquiry begins in early May.
Full details can be found on the Pearson web site
Page Published: 16/04/2012
