PLANS to make all state schools become academies have been labelled “deplorable” by the children and families cabinet member at Somerset County Council.

In a letter seen by the County Gazette, Cllr Frances Nicholson told Nicky Morgan, the secretary of state for education, that she is against the plans.

It comes just days after it was rumoured that the government was planning to make a dramatic U-turn over the policy to force all schools to transform into academies.

The original plan was unveiled by chancellor George Osborne during his Budget speech last month, and revealed an intention to turn 18,600 state schools into academies within six years.

But the plan has seen opposition up and down the country, including Conservatives, and now Somerset County Council’s Cllr Nicholson has voiced her opposition.

In the letter, Cllr Nicholson said: “It is as champion of the child that Somerset County Council deplores the ‘forced’ academisation policy.

“We welcome wholeheartedly any evidence-based initiatives that support and enable teachers and schools to achieve the task they are committed to – of enabling all children to achieve their potential irrespective of social background or individual need.

“We do not welcome initiatives not so based: children deserve better.

“There is no evidence that the structural change of academisation improves the outcomes for children and this is certainly not reflected in our experience of the academy programme in Somerset.”

Somerset County Council said it could not support the policy of forced administration.

A spokesman for the authority said: “Over 90 per cent of schools in Somerset are ‘good’ or better, with over 92 per cent of children attending a ‘good’ or better school.

“As an authority, our priority is that all Somerset children have access to quality schools, however they are governed, that schools are able to choose how they are governed and to support them in that choice.

“On that basis we cannot support a policy of forced academisation, especially without evidence that the structural change of academisation itself improves outcomes.

“All schools have the academy option open to them, and where they choose that option we will support them. But that should be a choice for individual schools to make in the best interests of their pupils.

“The authority is currently exploring the Department for Education’s latest statement around local authorities being able to run multi-academy trusts. In response to this announcement we are planning to run a series of roadshows with our schools to get their views on this and any options they would like the authority to consider.”