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Papers and Bills: A missed opportunity

Legislation and guidance Government policy Trade unions
Whatever your view on academies, one thing is clear: the government’s obsession with structural reform will not on its own transform an education system. Geoff Barton on the unambitious plans of the DfE.


The annual pageant of the Queen’s Speech – sadly minus the Queen on this occasion – contained an underwhelming Schools Bill (DfE, 2022).

This is, essentiality, the bits of the recent White Paper which require legislative underpinning. It is a mixed bag of measures ranging from boosted (and welcome) powers for Ofsted to investigate illegal schools, to a register of children not in school (also welcome), and some fairly technical stuff around the move for all schools to be in multi-academy trusts.

Let’s park that last – rather controversial – plan to one side for the moment and go back to the main thrust of the White Paper.

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