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Every failing school to become an academy
Under new laws every school in England rated inadequate by Ofsted will be turned into an academy.
One thousand under-performing schools will be turned into academies "from the first day we spot failure", Nicky Morgan has said.
The Education Secretary said that under new laws, every school in England rated inadequate by Ofsted will be turned into an academy.
She said that legal loopholes are currently being "exploited by those who put ideological objections above the best interests of children" and are leading to lengthy delays in turning around failing schools.
New powers will speed up the process of changing a failing school's leadership and stop campaigners "obstructing" takeovers, sources said.
The Government has been able to intervene in around half of maintained schools given inadequate ratings by the watchdog but the new measures will extend the power to all the schools.
Schools considered to be "coasting" also face being taken over as part of the fresh Government bid to raise standards.
Ms Morgan said: "Today's landmark Bill will allow the best education experts to intervene in poor schools from the first day we spot failure. It will sweep away the bureaucratic and legal loopholes previously exploited by those who put ideological objections above the best interests of children.
"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.
Critics of the plan branded it a "crude attack on state comprehensive education" and claimed it was irrational and impractical.
Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said the Bill was intended to "silence critics, including parents and teachers".
"There are academies deemed 'inadequate' by Ofsted. A change in structure is not axiomatically the path to school improvement. It is irresponsible to tell parents otherwise.
"A pledge to convert 'up to 1,000' schools is as irrational as it is impractical. Head teachers are already in short supply, so the promise to sack more of them will simply exacerbate the problem. Where does Nicky Morgan imagine that new teachers and heads will come from?"
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.”
However, leading head teachers and education experts voiced support for the new measures.
Dame Rachel de Souza, CEO of the Inspiration Trust, which runs 12 schools and colleges in East Anglia, said: “We must intervene quickly and decisively so all pupils can experience the benefits of a great academy education and today’s bill will help sponsors like us to help more young people faster.
“As an academy principal and now CEO of a multi academy trust I have seen for myself the power of academies to transform young lives and turn around failing and lacklustre schools quickly.”