Parents told of need to academise as government wants all schools in chains by 2030, despite ministers having ditched this pledge

A junior and infant school is consulting on academisation having told its community that the government wants an all-academy system by 2030 –even though that pledge was seemingly abandoned nearly a year ago.

The Colman Federation, which comprises a junior and infant school in Norwich, launched a consultation with its community earlier this month, on plans to academise under the Unity Schools Partnership, based in Haverhill in Suffolk.

A document setting out the plans, which is available on the federation’s website, states: “In the light of recent government plans for the future of education (the Education White Paper published in March 2022) governors have taken the decision to actively consider academisation…

“The White Paper proposes that all schools in England will become academies within Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) by 2030. This means that all schools which have not yet converted to academy status will be required to join a trust or be assigned to a trust by the Regional Schools Commissioner [now called Regional Directors] or the Local Authority over the next few years.”

Yet the final sentence in the paragraph above looks flat-out untrue. The white paper proposals appear not to be being taken forward by this government, even if the Conservatives retain power at the next election, which at the moment looks unlikely.