Overview

The Academies Bill was passed by the House of Commons in the last day of the parliamentary year and has received Royal Assent so becoming the Academies Act 2010. It will therefore be possible for some outstanding maintained schools to become academies by the start of the new academic year in September. This briefing gives an overview of the main changes made to the Bill in the House of Lords. It also highlights some of the main points of clarification made by government spokespeople in the House of Commons to indicate how the government envisages the Act will facilitate conversion of maintained schools to academies and the creation of new "free" schools.

The House of Lords was able to give the Bill close consideration during the Committee Stage. Their concerns focused on the impact on pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN), the lack of adequate provision for consultation in relation to applications to convert to an academy and in relation to new "free" schools, and the impact on the ability of local authorities to provide essential services if a significant number of their schools become academies. Four additional clauses were added to the Bill and significant amendments were made to others. These changes are discussed below.

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