Montessori chief criticises Academies Bill for not covering nurseries

The bill plans to significantly expand on the Labour government's academies initiative, giving all schools the chance to apply for the status and opt out of local government control. Schools rated as outstanding could be fast-tracked as academies and primary schools will get the chance to adopt the status.

Writing to schools, Gove said the government will open up the academies programme to all schools including primary schools and special schools.

But Philip Bujak, chief executive of the Montessori Association, said: "As is often the case, nursery and early years has been allotted the role of poor relation to primary and secondary education. I am extremely disappointed that the invitation from Michael Gove to schools to become academies does not extend to early years."

But teaching unions have criticised the bill's expansion of academies as unnecessary.

Chris Keates, NASUWT general secretary, said: "Parents and the public want good, local schools run by local councils, democratically accountable to local communities.

"These proposals are not about providing high-quality education for all. They are purely political ideology and dogma. They are about the break-up of state education, which was the stated aim of the Conservatives before the general election."