Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 21 January 2015.
Terms of Reference
Summary
1 Introduction
Our inquiry
Background
2 Evidence of effect of academy status on standards and closing the gap
Government policy
Link between school autonomy, collaboration, accountability and attainment
Sponsored academies
Improvement in attainment
Closing the gap
School improvement
Differences between chains
Converter academies
Attainment
Raising standards across the local area
Academy freedoms
Academy status and improved performance
Conclusions and recommendations
3 Oversight and monitoring
Role of central Government in oversight
Regional Schools Commissioners
Role of the local authority in strategy and monitoring
Parent voice
Regulatory function of the EFA
4 Collaboration and partnership in a school-led system
Role of collaboration in a self-improving system
Monitoring collaboration
Incentives to collaborate
Brokering collaboration
5 Sponsorship and regulation of academy chains
Effectiveness of academy chains and sponsors
Importance of geographical coherence
Expansion of chains and approval of new sponsors
Appointment of sponsors
Capped or paused chains
Conflicts of interest
Termination of funding agreements
Failure of chains
Ofsted inspection of chains
Conclusions and recommendations on chains
6 Effective structures for primary schools
Impact of academy status at KS1 and KS2
Suitability of the academy model
The effect of collaborative partnerships at primary level
Conclusions and recommendations on primary schools
7 Creation of free schools
Free schools and need
Quality of free schools
Conclusions and recommendations on free schools
8 Future schools landscape and implementation of education policy
The future schools landscape
Enacting policy in an autonomous system
9 Conclusion
Annex A: Programme for the Committee's visit to Boston and New Orleans, USA, 23 to 27 March 2014
Annex B: Programme for the Committee's visit to Hull, 23 to 24 June 2014
Formal Minutes
Witnesses
Published written evidence
List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament
