Judicial Review proceedings launched in relation to DfE’s current Oak National Academy plans

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), the Publishers Association, and the Society of Authors have launched Judicial Review proceedings in respect of the Department for Education’s proposed operating model for its new arm’s length body, Oak National Academy.

The three organisations are co-claimants, with the National Education Union also participating in the claim as an “interested party.” A formal judicial review claim was lodged with the court earlier this week.

Dan Conway, CEO of the Publishers Association, said:

“At every step of this process we have sought dialogue and compromise and this development is a last resort that we very much wanted to avoid. Unfortunately, we and our joint claimants felt we had no remaining course of action other than to challenge the Department for Education’s plans via judicial review. 

“The government’s plans for Oak will be an unprecedented and unevidenced intervention that will cause irreparable damage to the education sector as we know it. The government is in effect creating a one-size-fits-all state publisher that promotes a single curriculum, controlled by the Education Secretary of the day. This will undo years of work by publishers who have invested expertise over many decades in creating a rich range of world-leading resources for school children across the country.

“There is simply too much at stake to let these plans proceed unopposed. The potential impact on teacher autonomy, learner outcomes, and curriculum diversity and quality is too significant. That is why authors, publishers, educational suppliers, school groups, teachers’ unions, and others have all voiced strong concern over these plans.”