Nicky Morgan: Failing schools face academy shake-up across England

English state schools will be forced to convert to academy status if the institutions are rated "inadequate" by education watchdog Ofsted, under plans outlined by Nicky Morgan on 3 June.

The education secretary said up to 1,000 schools could be converted to the directly funded by government model as part of the Education and Adoption Bill, which is designed to "sweep away the bureaucratic and legal loopholes".

"At the heart of our commitment to delivering real social justice is our belief that every pupil deserves an excellent education and that no parent should have to be content with their child spending a single day in a failing school," Morgan said.

"Hundreds of schools, often in disadvantaged areas, are already being turned around thanks to the help of strong academy sponsors – education experts who know exactly what they have to do to make a failing school outstanding.

"This bill will allow them to do their job faster and more effectively, ensuring that thousands more pupils, from across the country, get the world-class education they deserve."

The government has argued that the measure will raise standards, but the proposal is controversial as potential academy sponsors would not have to consult local authorities.

Labour has claimed that the legislative move, tabled in the wake of the Tories' shock majority win at the general election, is "very depressing".

Tristram Hunt, the shadow education secretary, said: 'Labour continues to support the principle of schools that are failing – be they academies or maintained schools – facing new leadership.

"But these measures do not meet the challenges we face in education, such as preventing educational inequality setting in during the early years and ensuring high-quality teachers are attracted into poorly performing areas.

"It is very depressing to see the government's partisan and divisive education policy continuing into this parliament."