The Department for Education is reportedly preparing to row back on plans to force all schools to become academies after the idea provoked criticism from Conservative MPs.
Tory MPs and council leaders have voiced strong opposition to the plan – announced in George Osborne's Budget – for all schools to convert to academies by 2022. So far 17 Tory MPs have spoken out against the plan, with claims a similar number have the same concerns.
According to The Times, education secretary Nicky Morgan is set to say that the best performing councils will be allowed to run their own academy chains, in a bid to mollify rebels.
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Councils could also retain powers to force academies to meet demand for new places and to take vulnerable pupils or those with special needs.
Commenting on the report, a DfE spokesperson said: “Our reforms are raising standards and 1.4 million more children are in good or outstanding schools.
“Our white paper reforms are the next step in ensuring every child has access to an excellent education by putting control in the hands of the teachers and school leaders who know their pupils best.”
Shadow education secretary Lucy Powell it was "increasingly clear" that ministers did not have support for plan "to force good and outstanding schools to become academies against their wishes".
Almost two-thirds of secondary schools in England are academies, but only a fraction of primary schools have converted.