• Speakers
• Meg Hillier, MP, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee
• Warwick Mansell, Journalist, website "Education Uncovered"
• Louise Regan, NEU Equalities Officer
• Questions and Answers
• summary by Melanie Griffiths, SEA NEC co-ordinator

State-funded schools in the United Kingdom, apart from in England, are accountable to Local Authorities. The picture in England is very different. 78% of secondaries and 37% of primaries are now academies or free schools with around half of these belonging to Multi-Academy Trusts. The government wants even more schools to join MATs. These trusts are directly accountable to the DFE through Regional Schools Commissioners bypassing local authorities altogether. Who controls these schools and how have academy bosses extended their influence in the system? What impact are they having on the content and quality of English education? How do MATs spend the vast resources they receive? Is the attempt by the Tories to create an education market working? Why is the school system in England so different from other high performing jurisdictions? This event, the first of two, explores the current mess and addresses these issues. The second event will consider possible remedies.