Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

Briefly, I offer my strongest support for the amendment. This policy for academies is clearly shared by both parties and by both Conservative and Labour supporters. Academies have already begun to prove their worth, and it is very important for any school to be able to develop a sixth form if it so wishes. It is very difficult to recruit the best subject teachers unless you can offer them sixth-form teaching as well. Many 11-to-16 schools and their pupils found life extremely difficult, because they were devoid of good strong subject staff. I hope that the Minister supports the need for every academy to be able to develop a sixth form if it so wishes without any intervention from the local education authority that may prevent it from developing it in a way in which it logically needs to develop if it is to fulfil its academic purpose.