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The new Education Bill has now been granted Royal Assent completing the
legislative elements of our education reforms.
This new legislation hands to teachers all powers they need to ensure that every
classroom is a safe and ordered place where children are free to learn.
It focuses school inspection, on educational standards and the things
that matter most to parents. It also strengthens how schools are held to
account to drive continued improvement in academic standards.
We are determined to give parents the type of schools they want for their children
and this new Education Act is an important part of this programme.
The Education Act focuses on three main areas:
first it promotes good behaviour and discipline so children can learn,
and that means a
power for schools to search pupils without concern for any dangerous
or banned items.
The removal of restrictions that prevent schools from issuing detentions to
pupils without providing
24 hours written notice
and new pre-recharge reporting restrictions on any allegations of a
criminal nature
made by people's against teachers at their school.
Secondly the Act improves accountability
by refocusing Ofsted routine school inspections on the four key areas that
matter most to parents,
which are pupil achievement;
quality of teaching; leadership and management; and behaviour and safety.
Exempting the best schools and colleges from routine Ofsted inspections
and giving new powers to tackle underperforming schools, including more
powers for the Secretary of State
to close failing schools.
Ensuring that Ofqual, the independent exams regulator, ensures our exam system
is as robust as strong as the best around the world.
It also gives Ofqual greater enforcement powers
Abolishing five existing quangos with some of their functions transferring to
more efficient new executive agencies.
This means the Secretary of State and ministers are now directly accountable to Parliament
for important functions such as teacher quality and the National Curriculum.
Finally the Act frees up teachers, and headteachers, by removing unnecessary regulations.
It also introduces changes to how new schools are set up,
to give preference to academies and Free Schools,
and it allows for sixteen to nineteen and alternative provision academies,
so that all kinds of schools can have the autonomy that
helps them deliver high academic standards.
The Act also includes
power to create an entitlement to free early years provision
for disadvantaged two-year-olds.
Together with our earlier,
Academies Act
this new legislation puts in place the framework
to give schools and teachers the power and freedom to focus on the things that
matter most to all of us:
improving academic standards
and making sure all pupils
reach their full potential.