LAST week Conservative MPs asked Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, to not include in the Queen’s speech next month the controversial plan to ‘force’ all schools to become academies.

With this in mind and many now confident that ‘forced academisation’ will not be passed in the House of Commons, we urge caution regarding any school feeling it is essential that they begin the transition from council maintained to academy status.

It is a plan, at the time of writing, proposed in a Government White Paper and not set in stone.

Any ‘knee-jerk’ reaction and rush to become an academy may be unnecessary.

There is growing anger over the plans and its ‘one size fits all’ approach.

It is set to be a costly (approximately £1.3 billion) and unnecessary financial exercise – remarkably surprising considering the apparent need to curb state spending.

Very recently the National Audit Office said the plan created significant risks for the Government and its finances.

What is more the fear is that academy chains or multi-academy trusts may weaken the role of parent governors, expand the use of unqualified teachers and drive down pay and terms and conditions.

The Government should scrap plans to ‘force’ all schools to become academies ‘against their will’ and instead commit to dealing with and addressing other much more important issues.

Such as the problems some schools are experiencing implementing the new curriculum.

The Government should also reverse the plan to cut school funding and look to reduce high staff workloads.

At the very least we hope a compromise is reached and specifically the ‘forced’ element is removed.

We are also hopeful that there will be an offer to the local authority to set up a dedicated multi-academy trust of their own.

SEAN CREANEY AND JOSH BOOTH Bewsey and Padgate