Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has U-turned on plans to give the Government sweeping powers over academies in the face of a looming revolt.
In a major climbdown, Education Minister Baroness Barran told peers that chunks of the Schools Bill would be stripped out after it was branded a Government "power grab".
Rebel peers had been threatening a revolt over Mr Zahawi's flagship legislation, which is currently making its way through the Lords.
A string of former education ministers sounded the alarm over planned national academy standards, which would give the Government power to dictate things like the curriculum, pupil welfare and the length of the school day.
Academies are state-funded but independent of local councils, which means they should have the power to make these decisions.
In her letter, Baroness Barran admitted “concerns have been expressed across the House regarding the clarity of the policy intent underpinning the academy standards provisions”.
She said clauses about academy funding arrangements would also be removed but "revised proposals" would be brought forward.
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, hailed the climbdown which would have "handed unprecedented powers to the Education Secretary over virtually every aspect of the running of academies".
“It was a ridiculous attempt to centralise power in Whitehall over matters which are obviously much better decided by professional educators who know the needs of their schools and their pupils," he said.
“This power-grab was rightly called out by members of the House of Lords from across the political spectrum and we are grateful for their intervention."
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, also welcomed the move.
He said: "We have been clear that, in its current state, the Bill gave government powers to direct and influence schools in a way that was simply unacceptable. It is positive that government has listened and responded to these widespread concerns."
Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "This is a major climbdown from Nadhim Zahawi and confirms this chaotic government has no plan to drive-up standards in our schools and improve outcomes for our children.
“Just days ago the Schools Minister was told the Commons these were important provisions. Now the government has binned them.
"The Conservatives are in a mess trying to rush through laws to avoid scrutiny and distract from their own incompetence."
During a debate in the Lords last month, a string of former ministers lined up to criticise the plans.
Tory Lord Baker, who was Education Secretary from 1986-89, said: "It’s a real grab for power by the Department for Education.
“You must remember that the DfE since 1870 has never run a school. Now they’re going to take complete control over the education system. And so I think they should be watched.
“This is really a game-changing bill of a very significant nature, and I think it’s totally unproved that the DfE actually knows very much about the improvement of schools.”
Former Labour schools minister Lord Knight said it was "jaw-dropping" and was "making the secretary of state effectively the chief education officer for 25,000 schools."
A Department for Education spokesperson said: "As we work towards all schools in strong academy trusts, we have been clear that the current regulatory system must evolve to retain parents’ confidence and make sure every school in every trust is helping their pupils fulfil their potential.
“We therefore remain committed to the Schools Bill putting clear academy trust standards on a legal footing, and allowing for the government to intervene directly in the rare cases of academy trust failure.
"The academy trust regulatory review, involving an expert advisory group and extensive sector engagement and running in parallel to the Bill, will propose what the standards should be and how intervention should work.
“But we are listening to concerns from peers about how the provisions in the Bill would operate in practice, and will make sure the Bill protects and strengthens the fundamental freedoms academies enjoy. That is why we are supporting the temporary removal of clauses 1-18 from the Bill, in advance of bringing back revised clauses later in the Bill’s passage through parliament.”
