Last week the BBC reported that they had a list of the schools that the DfE had targetted for force to become academies. They had spoken to Local Authorities, some had given them a list of schools, others just the number of schools.
In December Janet Lallysmith, a campaigner from the Save Downhills School campaign, submitted a request for the full list to the DfE. Since the government has been talking about a list of 200 schools for months, and some schools, such as Downhills in Haringey and Montgomery in Birmingham have been clearly identified, it would not seem to be a difficult request.
However the DfE disagrees.
“Unfortunately the Department cannot disclose the names of underperforming primary schools that you request and is applying the following exemption clause below as the reason.”
It seems that
‘disclosure of the information under the Act “would be likely otherwise to prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs”.’
Apparently the effective conduct of public affairs would be prejudiced if local people knew their school was threatened with being forced to become and academy!
Full text here http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/forced_primary_academies
Schools ripe for conversion to academies are generally in multi ethnic areas with a high proportion of children on free school meals and who speak English as a second language. How many schools are to be converted in affluent boroughs in which the overwhelming majority of children speak English as a first language? The Conservative and Labour voters in the more affluent Shire counties would be outraged if it were to happen to their schools!