Schools White Paper

My Lords, the noble Lord raises a number of important issues. The role of these trusts will be important. Indeed, I gave examples of trusts that are already heavily engaged in the education system, including as promoters of academies. I believe that all of them would be recognised by your Lordships as bona fide organisations that bring a good deal of positive influence and huge experience to bear in the education system. That is precisely the type of organisation that we have in mind in developing the trusts to which I referred. However, the reason why we have established the office of schools commissioner, and have kept a reserve power of reference to the local schools adjudicator, is to guard against precisely the issue that the noble Lord raised; that is, where it would not be in the public interest for an undesirable trust to develop a relationship with a school and be able to oversee its governing body. I should also stress that for the most part decisions about whether schools go down the trust model route will be for them. Much was made of central and local control but it will be individual school governing bodies, having consulted their parents and local communities, that will determine whether the school goes down this road. I say ““for the most part”” because there is also the important issue of effective action that we expect to taken in the case of failing and weak schools. The White Paper is clear that in those cases local authorities, or ultimately the Secretary of State, may have a role—as the Secretary of State does at the moment in respect of academies—to put forward proposals for the development of new schools, including trust schools, in those areas. Our position is very clear. In cases of failure and extreme weakness, we have a responsibility to act and we cannot simply stand apart and allow another generation of pupils to be failed by schools that are not able to meet parental expectations.