School’s Bill 2022: What it’s all about?
26 May 2022
The School’s Bill is the first major piece of legislation for schools since 2016.
Russell Holland and Sophie Naddermier examine some of the key points.
Academies
The position around making all schools academies has long been debated. The projection by the government is that by 2030, every school in England will be making the move to become one or join an already established academy chain. This is a clear signal of policy intent. The Government has however softened its position on the involvement of local authorities (LAs) and is looking to tidy up the legal framework. LAs will be able to apply for an academy order in addition to the power currently being reserved for the governing body. The Local Government Association has welcomed the proposals for LAs to be able to set up their own Multi-Academy Trusts (MAT). Other proposals are designed to make the land transfer process more straightforward and create a new legal framework to try to resolve some of the inconsistencies caused by different funding agreements and articles.
Illegal Schools and Home Schooling
The bill will give new powers to Ofsted in order to have a better legal framework for tackling illegal schools and also a register for children who are not in school.
A register for home-schooled children has long been under discussion. LAs have duties in relation to home-schooled children but the current legal framework is not entirely clear and can be difficult to implement. However, critics of the proposed register consider that had the pandemic not occurred, this measure may not have been introduced. During the 2020-21 academic year, around 115,000 children are claimed to have been homeschooled for at least a part of the year. This is a 34% increase from the previous academic year. It is thought that the increase may be due to the fact that children who are medically vulnerable or have medically vulnerable family members may have been reluctant to take the risk of catching covid by going to school. The second factor was the two National Lockdowns that took place during that academic year.. If this legislation is passed in the foreseeable future, it will mean that homeschooling parents will be recognised and greater safeguards in place to ensure support for providing quality education If the parents are seen to not have given their children the level of education they require, they will be supported in doing so.
National Funding Formula
School funding has long generated considerable political debate and any change which involves winners and losers inevitably causes disputes between politicians. The Government’s intention is to enable schools to be allocated funding on a consistent basis, enabling an attempt to create an even keel between schools in England. This is because there is no difference in the level of funding depending on its respective location. It further tries to eliminate the hidden bias towards schools in the South.
Attendance
Another clear policy intention is the government’s commitment to improving attendance in schools, with a new obligation for schools and trusts to have an attendance policy in place. This reflects newly published guidance, which comes into force from September.