Consultation outcome

Intervening in failing, underperforming and coasting schools

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 21 October 2015
• Last updated: 24 March 2016 — See all updates

This was published under the 2015 to 2016 Cameron Conservative government

Applies to England

This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Intervening in failing, underperforming and coasting schools: government response

Ref: DFE-00079-2016

PDF, 414 KB, 34 pages

Detail of outcome

Summary of responses we received, along with the government’s response outlining the next steps.

We’ve also published revised statutory guidance about schools causing concern.

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Original consultation

Summary

We are seeking views on the government’s proposals to address underperformance in local-authority-maintained schools.

This consultation ran from
9:30am on 21 October 2015 to 5pm on 18 December 2015

Consultation description

We invite your views on how:

• we define local-authority-maintained schools that are eligible for intervention
• regional schools commissioners (RSCs) and local authorities should use their intervention powers
• we propose to identify coasting schools

On Wednesday 9 December, the government tabled amendments to the Education and Adoption Bill that propose to:

• introduce consistent, effective powers in any academy that is failing or coasting
• require an academy sponsor, once identified for a maintained school that is eligible for intervention, to communicate to parents information about their plans for the school
• make a number of amendments to the clause of the bill on coasting, including:
  • removing an element of subjectivity from the coasting definition that could be implied by the current wording of the bill
  • specifying that regulations on coasting must be made by the Secretary of State, rather than may be made
  • specifying that we will lay the coasting regulations before both Houses of Parliament to be approved the first time they are made

You can find these amendments on the Parliament website.

Respondents to the consultation on ‘Intervening in failing, underperforming and coasting schools’ may wish to take account of these prospective changes in their responses to the consultation questions.

Respondents may also email to contribute their views on these new proposals during the consultation period.

Documents

Intervening in failing, underperforming and coasting schools

PDF, 302 KB, 20 pages

Schools causing concern: draft guidance

PDF, 469 KB, 36 pages

Published 21 October 2015
Last updated 24 March 2016 + show all updates

1. 24 March 2016

   Added government response and a link to revised statutory guidance about schools causing concern.

2. 10 December 2015

   Added information about government's proposed changes to the Education and Adoption Bill that respondents may wish to consider in their consultation response.

3. 21 October 2015

   First published.