Education Secretary seeks to reassure councils over academy plans

The Education Secretary has moved to reassure local authorities that they will still have an important role to play in improving schools, despite his plans to offer all schools the opportunity to become academies.

The Academies Bill in the Queen’s Speech proposes making it easier for schools to gain academy status and leave local authority control.

Michael Gove wrote to all council leaders, chief executives and directors of children’s services to say that the government intended to work with councils to drive up standards in all schools.

In his letter, the Education Secretary said the schools system needed to be reformed to tackle educational inequality and to give greater powers to parents and pupils to choose a good school as part of a mixed economy of school provision.

He added that he was committed to working with councils to ensure local authorities continue to play a full part in securing improvement.

The minister has also held "constructive" talks with the Local Government Association.