Academies: Thurrock
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to ensure that students at academy schools in Thurrock receive a balanced education.
Answered by Georgia Gould
Currently academies, which make up over half of state schools, are not required to teach the national curriculum. Through powers the department has taken in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, we will require academies to follow the national curriculum.
We are developing a refreshed national curriculum in response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s recommendations, which will provide pupils with a broad range of knowledge and skills that prepares them for adult life.
The refreshed curriculum will be taught from September 2028, meaning that pupils in academy schools will benefit from a curriculum that is ambitious for every child, enabling them to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
The curriculum will be published in 2027, giving schools time to prepare. There will be a public consultation in 2026 on the proposed reforms. As part of wider implementation, we will be considering how to support both academies and maintained schools to deliver the reformed national curriculum.
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