Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

Amendment 102A is a probing amendment, which is merely designed to draw attention to the fact that devolution of the funding of academies raises real questions about the future of sixth forms in those schools. This is a concern felt by many groups. Dr. Daniel Moynihan, chief executive of the Harris Foundation Academy Group, said: ""In one local authority we were told by a different body from the Learning and Schools Council that we could not open sixth forms in two of our academies"." The reason given was that it did not fit with the plan. In another place, the Minister attempted to reassure the House by stating that all that the Bill really allowed was the Secretary of State to ask the YPLA to undertake some largely administrative functions in relation to academies and that it would not affect the nature of the funding of academies. He added that if agreement could not be reached about adding a new sixth form to an existing academy, the views of the academy, the 14-to-19 partnership and the local authority would be taken into account, while the Secretary of State, not the local authority, would be responsible for the decision. This is, to some extent, reassuring. I do not want the Minister to think that I have come at this amendment with all guns blazing. We merely seek assurances about the role of the provider in assessing the need for a sixth form in an existing academy. It should be enough for the academy to state that there is a need for further provision or that it is unnecessary. How will the assessment for an additional academy sixth form work? What role will be allocated to the academy in the decision-making process? Will it be one of consultation, or one of decision-making? The concern, as the Minister is aware, is that in a scenario in which the independence of academies has already been reduced, is it really right that the need for a new academy sixth form should be addressed by a process that risks damaging their independence still further? I remain concerned and seek further reassurances from her. I beg to move.