Research reveals support for local authority oversight of academies

More than half of secondary schools are now academies or free schools, independent of local authorities and accountable to the Education Secretary.

The LGIU conducted interviews with heads of academy chains, academic commentators and both local government politicians and officers to assess their views on the role that councils should play in education. 

The researchers found widespread concern that that up to 24,000 schools could be managed from a single Whitehall department, and warned that increasing numbers of academies is leading to “gaps in accountability, admissions monitoring, schools support services and place planning”.

The report warns against “sleepwalking into the centralisation of the education system” and suggests local authorities are best placed to carry out functions that cannot be discharged by central government – arguing that the traditional local authority role in school improvement could be scaled back, while strategic responsibility for holding schools to account could be increased.

Jonathan Carr-West, director of LGIU, which conducted the research in partnership with the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and Unison, said the results showed compelling reasons to support a middle tier of governance in the school system.

“Schools are a vital part of our communities and schools policy should therefore, as far as possible, reside in those communities and not in Whitehall,” he said.

“As the contributors to this report have demonstrated, there are a range of functions such as accountability and schools place planning that are much better delivered at a more local level.

“There's no reason why a middle tier should be the same in every part of the country. What is important is that we find ways to open up a democratic conversation with people across the country about how they want schools to be organised in their community, for their children.”

Christine Blower, general secretary of the NUT, added: “The key role local authorities play in the support system for schools must be recognised. Their role in securing democratic accountability, service provision and efficiency must not be undermined.

“The government's cuts, academies programme and drive to maximise delegation to schools have all had an adverse impact on the delivery of high-quality support services to schools.”

Schools minister David Laws made the case for a “middle tier” in the education system earlier this week at the Liberal Democrat party conference. He said an intermediary body was vital, although he did not state a preference for local authorities to fill this gap.