Burnham-On-Sea MP Ashley Fox has this week warned that Labour risks undoing one of the most successful improvements to England’s school system, accusing the Government of undermining academy freedoms that have helped raise standards for millions of children.
Speaking in Parliament during a committee session examining new education regulations, Burnham’s MP said the Conservatives’ academy reforms had given schools the flexibility to innovate, improve and deliver better outcomes.
He welcomed moves to make it easier to set up new pupil referral units for children needing additional support, but said the wider direction of Government policy amounted to an “unnecessary attack” on academies.
He pointed to evidence showing that pupils in the first sponsored academies achieved results equivalent to around one GCSE grade higher than those in the schools they replaced, adding that academy trusts remain strongly represented among the highest‑performing school groups nationwide.
After the debate, Ashley Fox added that academies had “transformed education in England by giving schools the freedom to innovate and raise standards,” adding that millions of children had benefited from the reforms. He criticised Labour’s approach as “short‑sighted and wrong,” arguing it reflected a desire for greater central control.
He said he would continue backing policies that protect school freedoms while ensuring children with additional needs can access high‑quality specialist provision.
