Council leaders call for greater school intervention powers

The Local Government Association (LGA) wants the Department for Education to empower councils to hold all schools to account when problems arise, following investigations into extremism in Birmingham schools.

The LGA has argued that councils are in the best position to provide support to failing or struggling schools and academies but have limited powers to do so.

Currently, local authorities can only issue a warning notice to failing maintained schools and requires government permission to take any further action. Meanwhile, the DfE is responsible for academies, although it expects local authorities to proactively engage with non-maintained schools that are believed to be struggling.

The call reiterates recent comments made by Alan Wood, president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, who said local authorities are best placed to provide clarity around school issues and become a single point of accountability.

Councillor David Simmonds, chair of the LGA’s children and young people board, said councils should be parents’ first port of call when they have concerns about a school.

He said: “The current two-tier system of accountability is extremely confusing for parents with not many knowing if they should report an issue to their council or the DfE.

“What they do know is that they want their child educated within a safe environment and to the highest level possible. Councils are best placed to do that.

“Rather than creating new local bodies to provide oversight, the barriers to council intervention should be removed immediately so that councils can use their vast experience, integrity and desire to improve the system and intervene early.”

A spokesman for the DfE rejected the idea and said there are currently 35 council-run schools in special measures for 18 months or longer, compared with just three academies.

He said: “Results are rising faster in sponsored academies than in council-run schools, and converter academies are more likely to improve their Ofsted rating.

“Academies are giving hope to children who have been failed by councils.”

Last month, Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, wrote to Education Secretary Michael Gove urging him to support the movement of schools back into local authority control when academy chains fail.