Forty-Seventh Report - Academies Sector Annual Report and Accounts 2019/20

Select Committee

Public Accounts Committee HC 994 25 March 2022

Report Status Government responded

Conclusions & Recommendations 33 items (10 recs)

Source View on Parliament website

Government Response (AI assessment · 17 of 33 classified)

Accepted 11

Acknowledged 1

Not Addressed 3

Rejected 2

Recommendations

2 results

2 Rejected

The Department does not fully understand the causes of variability within the financial performance of...

Recommendation

The Department does not fully understand the causes of variability within the financial performance of academy schools, and consequently may not know how to best protect the education for pupils taught in financially struggling academies. There can be a disconnect … Read more

Government Response Summary

The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation and says the national funding formula distributes funding fairly and it has an effective assurance programme for academy trusts.

HM Treasury

View Details

3 Rejected

The Department still does not understand well enough the conditions of the school estate, meaning...

Recommendation

The Department still does not understand well enough the conditions of the school estate, meaning it does not know whether pupils have access to the learning facilities they need. Some academy trusts are building large reserves, and these may be … Read more The Department still does not understand well enough the conditions of the school estate, meaning it does not know whether pupils have access to the learning facilities they need. Some academy trusts are building large reserves, and these may be invested in capital projects. However, as we have previously reported, the Department does not have information on whether trusts have earmarked reserves for particular projects and therefore cannot effectively challenge academy trusts on the build-up or planned use of excessive reserves. The Department does not systematically collect comprehensive data on the capital investments held by academy trusts which are specifically aimed at improving children’s learning outcomes. It therefore does not routinely monitor how much schools have been able, or plan, to spend on capital projects of this nature, for example IT provision, science and technology labs, and arts facilities. The latest condition data collected by the Department estimates that £11.4 billion is required for essential remedial work across all schools. The Department has made available £5.6 billion of capital funding for the education sector in 2021/22, of which £1.8 billion is specifically for maintaining and improving the condition of school buildings. There is a risk that schools are not receiving sufficient capital funding to invest in facilities that enhance educational outcomes. Ofsted have reported instances where it has downgraded schools based on inadequate facilities. However, the Department may not know where to target funding to improve school facilities because it does have a sufficient understanding of where the gaps are. Recommendation: The Department should, within the next year, collect and publish data on pupils’ access to learning facilities, and the condition of such amenities, for example IT provision, science and technology labs, and arts facilities. and associated equipment. The Department should report how much capital investment is required Show less

Government Response Summary

The government disagrees with the recommendation and will not collect and publish data on pupils' access to learning facilities. The department prioritizes ensuring sufficient school places and that the estate remains in a safe, operational condition.

HM Treasury

View Details