EDUCATION Secretary Nicky Morgan unveiled plans yesterday to give regional schools commissioners new powers to sack head teachers and force academy status on “coasting” schools

The Department for Education said that legislation will be introduced in the Queen’s Speech to allow “new leadership” to be parachuted into schools not classified as failing but “not considered to be performing as well as they could be,” if they cannot demonstrate how they plan to improve performance.

But National Union of Teachers deputy general secretary Kevin Courtney said the government was “looking in completely the wrong place.

“There is no convincing evidence that the academies programme has improved education overall or for disadvantaged children.

“There is overwhelming evidence that the poverty and inequality many children face is a real obstacle to their educational achievement.
“The government should act on poverty reduction immediately. Proposals to sack even more head teachers will exacerbate the teacher and head teacher supply problems that became evident in the last years of the coalition.”