Free schools and academies focus of Lords debate

Debate 

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park (Conservative), former director of New Schools Network, put forward the debate.  

This was a general debate. During debates, members put their experience to good use to discuss current issues and draw the government's attention to concerns.      

Members speaking  

Members speaking in the debate included: 

• Baroness Barran (Conservative), shadow minister for education
• Lord Hampton (Crossbench), teacher at Mossbourne Community Academy, Hackney Downs
• Lord Nash (Conservative), director of Future Academies
• Lord Storey (Liberal Democrats), former teacher.

Opening the debate, Baroness Evans said:

'The coalition government’s Academies Act 2010 expanded academy status through the system, allowing more schools to benefit from the freedoms they enjoyed and to have the flexibilities to innovate, raise standards and achieve improved outcomes for their students.'

Lord Storey added:

'There is a need across the country for expert teachers who follow a transparent curriculum so that parents can be assured that their children are receiving a good education.'

Baroness Smith of Malvern (Labour), Minister of State for Education, responded on behalf of the government:

'High and rising standards must be the right of every child, delivered through excellent teaching and leadership, a high-quality curriculum and a system that removes the barriers to learning that hold too many children back, all underpinned by strong and clear accountability.'

Get involved  

Catch up

Watch on Parliament TV or read the Lords Hansard transcript. 

Explore background information   

• Find out more about the issues the debate covers in the House of Lords Library briefing.
• Learn more about how the House of Lords checks and challenges government. 

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