Public relations and public affairs in the education sector

Education Legislation Update

The Academies Bill

The Academies Bill that has now been passed enables more schools in England to become academies. This would mean that a large number of academies will start opening up due to the fact that they will be funded to a similar level to maintaned schools, but will also get a share of central funding that local authorities previously spent on their behalf. Schools that become academies will be allowed to keep any surplus balances they hold.

The Academies Bill allows primary schools to become academies in their own right, and schools that are rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted will be pre-approved. The Bill also means that the Secretary of State has the power to issue an academy order, requiring the local authority to cease maintaining the school. A key point to the Bill is that it has removed the needto consult the local authority before opening an academy, and deems academy trusts to be exempt charities.

The Education Bill

The Education Bill was introduced to Parliament on 26 January 2011, following the Department for Education's schools White Paper, 'The Importance of Teaching'. The Bill also takes measures from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with regards to a change in higher education funding and fairer usage of resources.

The Bill will provide teachers with better protection against false allegations by pupils and will also give them more power to issue same-day detentions.