Conservatives' policy outlines plan for academy-style independent but state-funded schools

The Welsh Conservatives have unveiled their big idea in the field of education this morning, free schools. Well yes, I know that school education has been free for a very long time but this is not what they are getting at. The plan is to set up schools directly funded by the Welsh Assembly Government so as to give them the freedom to make their own decisions. However, all schools will have to abid...

PROPOSALS for a transformation in Welsh state education will be unveiled today when the Conservatives launch their vision of “free schools”.

Education is the area where the Cameron agenda inspires most. The supply-side revolution the Tories are planning to enable, will transform education for the better in this country. This morning, the Tories launched the education section of their draft manifesto at the Walworth Academy in south London, one of the ARK schools.  The event was memorable for a compelling performance by Michael Gov...

The Tories' flagship plan for Swedish-style "free schools" to boost standards has been attacked by one of the party's own local government leaders amid growing anxiety over the proposals. Michael Gove, the shadow education secretary, argues that creating up to 2,000 new schools, funded by the state but independent of town hall control, would give parents more choice by forcing existing s...

The vested interests are up in arms about Conservative plans to improve education by freeing good performing primary schools. Catch a load of the NASWT's Chris Keates: "Having already announced academies will be the norm for secondary schools, this proposal for primary schools completes the Tories' blueprint for the dismantling of state education.There is no evidence that severing the li...

A Conservative government would turn thousands of primary schools into independent, state-funded academies similar to existing academy secondary schools, Michael Gove tells the Guardian today. In one of the Tories' most significant announcements on education in recent years, the shadow schools secretary says that primary schools will be free to apply for academy status within two years of a C...

The Conservatives proposed this week to abolish income tax on savings paid by basic-rate tax payers. They aim to fund this through restrictions on public spending amounting to cuts of some £5.4 billion. Although the Tories say they will match Labour’s spending on health and schools, we doubt...

When I was writing my column this week on the Tories’ education policy, I realised that there’s a new test for policy: will it be so successful that the devolved administrations end up adopting it.  Michael Gove’s plan for a supply side revolution in education – allowing any group of people to step up schools—promises to transform education. But there will be no ...

The A-Level pass rate has risen for the 28th successive year. Debasing the coinage. It's what governments do....