Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what information they have provided to Parliament to allow effective scrutiny of the decision to establish the Oak National Academy.

As an integral part of the process to establish Oak National Academy (Oak) as an arm’s length body, the department produced a business case that included an assessment of potential market impact following engagement with stakeholders, including the education publishing and technology sector. This was published in November 2022, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oak-national-academy-business-case.

During the set up of Oak, Parliament was sighted on progress through two written ministerial statements, laid in both Houses. On 5 July 2022 a statement was laid giving notice of a contingent liability for the issuing of an indemnity in respect of forming Oak as an arm’s length body (HLWS174, HCWS179). On 5 September 2022 a further statement was laid notifying Parliament of a Contingencies Fund advance to enable Oak to commence activity from 1 September (HLWS271, HCWS277).

As part of the wider Public Bodies Review programme, a review of Oak will take place in 2024. This review will act as a checkpoint to ensure that the organisation is acting effectively and will include consideration of the effect on the commercial curriculum resources market.

In establishing Oak as an arm’s length body, the department is taking action to tackle teacher workload, improve curriculum expertise, and ultimately improve education. It is right that the government takes steps to achieve this, whilst being careful to strike an appropriate balance with the interests of the thriving commercial curriculum and publishing markets. It is therefore disappointing to see commercial organisations, and those who represent them, trying to block this support to teachers. The department will be defending the legal challenge. The department is unable to comment on ongoing legal proceedings and cannot speculate about the outcome of the claim.