§ Mr. HobanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2004,Official Report, column 710W, on schools (capital investment), whether all wave one plans will need to include provision for a city academy prior to approval by the Department. [175234]
§ Mr. Miliband[holding answer 24 May 2004]: Academies—and new or reformed schools including academy features—should form a key part of Building Schools for the Future (BSF) plans, whether the replacement or improvement of failing or weaker schools, or the creation of new schools. The Government expect local projects to provide a proper evaluation of academy options; such reform is critical to demonstrate the expected impact on educational standards of large-scale capital investment. We also encourage local education authorities to engage directly with potential academy sponsors as part of the BSF preparation and evaluation.