Lucy Powell MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Education, commenting on Sir Michael Wilshaw’s letter to Nicky Morgan about illegal schools, said:

“This Tory Government has been asleep at the wheel, allowing extremely worrying and potentially dangerous practices to evolve in our schools system. The Tories’ education policy has led to a fragmented schools system lacking robust local oversight to spot and tackle serious problems early on. As a result, many children are dropping off the radar or ending up in illegal, unregistered schools for months or years, where they are at risk of being exposed to harm, exploitation, or the influence of extremist ideologies.

“We urgently need the Government to take tough action and instil a robust system of local oversight and accountability of all local schooling, regardless of type, so that communities can work together to improve standards and stop children from ending up in harm’s way.“