The Academies Bill is progressing rapidly through the House of Lords and is due for Report Stage on the 6th and 7th of July, with a Third Reading on the 13th of July. It will allow existing maintained schools to convert to Academies. For the full CCFON and CLC briefing on the Bill please click here.
An amendment has been proposed for a debate and/or vote on 6th or 7th July by Baroness Massey of Darwen and Baroness Flather (both Honorary Associates of the National Secular Society) making Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) a curriculum requirement for Academies. This would mean that there would be compulsory sex education (including same-sex education) at Academies. Christian organisations campaigned to prevent PSHE becoming a statutory requirement in the Children Schools and Families Act 2010 and it would be a major setback if it came in by the backdoor through the Academies Bill. Please pray that this will be unsuccessful.
The Academy arrangement is largely based on either a funding agreement between the Secretary of State and a body called the “Academy Trust” for existing converting schools, or on a grant arrangement for free schools. A potential pitfall for all schools considering Academy status is that important issues might be omitted from the funding agreement or grant arrangement.
There are important statutory details found in existing education laws and regulations for maintained schools which should be included on the face of the Bill. These are matters such as allowing religious schools to teach RE according to their ethos, the teaching of Christianity at non-faith schools, ensuring that schools comply with collective worship requirements and ensuring that parents have the right to withdraw their children from sex education lessons. If these provisions are not on put on the face of the Bill and are not covered by the contractual arrangements then parents who are not party to the contractual arrangements will be left without direct legal redress. Please pray that the Bill would include all of the necessary statutory details.