Accord Coalition briefs Lords ahead of Academies Bill debates

The Accord Coalition has briefed Peers on the Academies Bill ahead of it reaching the Committee stage in the House of Lords on Monday (June 21st).

The Academies Bill proposes to give new Academy schools considerably more operational freedom, including being able to opt out from teaching the National Curriculum. Significantly, it will also compel all faith schools that become an Academy school to have the legal status of an independent school with a religious character.

The Chair of the Accord Coalition, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain said ‘we are incredibly worried by some aspects of the Bill. Independent schools with a religious character are able to discriminate against pupils and teachers on the basic of religion and conferring this legal status upon new Academy schools risks extending discriminatory practices to many more state funded schools.’

We are also concerned that some Academies will use their freedom over the curriculum to avoid teaching even the most basis Sex and Relationships Education (SRE). Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education, which includes SRE, improves children’s health and well being, and so we think Academy schools must be required to provide it’.

‘We therefore support amendments tabled by Baroness Massey and Lord Northbourne, which will help to significantly mitigate against these concerns, and urge members of the House of Lords to support them’.