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Teaching unions have called on education secretary, Michael Gove, to come clean about which schools will actually become academies next month. Mr Gove faced further criticism this week as it was revealed that just 153 schools had applied for academy status, despite the minister's earlier claims that more than 1,000 wanted to leave local authority control. Most of the councils with the highest number are Conservative. "Why does the secretary of state need to withhold the names of those which have been successful, effectively encouraging them to skulk in the shadows, keeping vital information from those who will be directly affected by the change?" NASUWT general secretary, Chris Keates According to government statistics, there are at least 25,000 schools in England. Conservative-controlled Kent tops this latest list, with 12 schools applying to become academies. With less than one month to go before the new school year, teaching unions have demanded to know which, if any, will become academies in time for September. ‘This cloak-and-dagger approach is leaving those schools which do become academies on 1 September vulnerable to legal challenge and possibly industrial action,' said NASUWT general secretary, Chris Keates. ‘Why does the secretary of state need to withhold the names of those which have been successful, effectively encouraging them to skulk in the shadows, keeping vital information from those who will be directly affected by the change?' he added. Christine Blower, general secretary of the NUT, said all the applications would still have to be agreed, a consultation exercise would have to be held, and it was still possible that a governing body could change its mind between an academy order being granted and the funding agreement signed. A Department for Education spokesman said it did anticipate that some schools would be opening next month as academies, but could not confirm any figures at this stage. The spokesman added that in cases where the paperwork could not be completed for 1 September, schools would be able to transfer later in the autumn.

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Minister faces criticism over academy numbers

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