Stephen's views on Trust Schools

As a member of the Education and Skills Select Committee I was pleased to personally contribute to the Committee's report on the Education White Paper. Although a number of the Committee's recommendations were adopted, such as outlawing interviews for admissions, the government did not put in enough safeguards. Instead of addressing standards, which is the issue that most worries parents and employers, the resulting Education and Inspections Bill focuses far too much on structures.

There were measures in the Bill that my colleagues and I supported, for example provisions on school discipline and personalised learning, but there was not enough to justify support for the spread of a 'Trust School' model which will undoubtedly have a damaging and divisive effect on community schools.

All major research shows that giving schools the power to control their own admissions policies leads to greater social segregation. Although the government claims that this will provide greater 'choice', it will lead to schools choosing pupils, not parents choosing schools, and children from poorer backgrounds and those who are less academically gifted will inevitably lose out. This is why we want local authorities to set admissions, in consultation with schools and parents.

Trust Schools will not be accountable to local parents or the local community, yet they will control admissions and take the freehold of a school's land and assets. While the Government has said that councils can build new community schools if parents want them, they still have to go to the Secretary of State for approval. Liberal Democrats believe decisions should be made by local communities, not Whitehall, and opposed this central government 'veto.'

Trust Schools will have no duty or incentive to collaborate with neighbouring schools or those outside of the Trust. Schemes such as the Liberal Democrats' proposed Community Learning Trusts would promote collaboration. In this model local schools, colleges and employers would work together to deliver real pupil choice in 14-19 education.

My colleagues and I in the Liberal Democrats supported amendments that would have made admissions procedures for Trust schools more transparent, improved accountability of Trust schools to local parents or the local community, and put a duty or incentive for these schools to collaborate with other local schools. Unfortunately the government did not move on these points and we therefore voted against the Bill.

The Bill has now gone to the House of Lords for further scrutiny, we will continue to work with our colleagues there to try and amend this flawed piece of legislation.