Lone dissenting voice

former Education Secretary Estelle Morris

The Oldham education commission had 13 members but it was revealed that one didn’t sign the final report.

Estelle Morris said the reason the member didn’t sign was disagreement with a section saying “the value of greater autonomy for schools is well recognised”.

Ms Morris was asked about the impact the number of academy schools in Oldham has had on the town’s education system. She said: “Because the local authority isn’t strong, because the demise of the local authority has gone so far, it has left a very fragmented system.

“Schools need to link with other people and at the moment we’ve got a system that doesn’t do that.

“The partnership is a response to that. It was right to shift the power from the council to schools, it was right to say to the heads, you chose how you spend the money, you work out your budget. That was right, but you need both independence and interdependence.

“With the partnership, we’re rebuilding what has been lost.”