What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

School leaders have a “bitter distrust” of the Tory Government’s education policies, a survey reveals today.

The damning verdict comes as Education Secretary Nicky Morgan faces surprise cross-party opposition to her plans to turn all state schools into academies.

Tory, Labour and Lib Dem leaders in the influential Local Government Association have joined forces to urge Ms Morgan to reconsider her plans.

In an open letter they warn that the plan to remove all schools in England from council control by 2020 has caused “enormous concern.”

The letter adds: “There is no evidence that academies perform better than council-maintained schools.”

It is the latest setback for Ms Morgan as she was heckled at the NASUWT teachers’ union conference at the weekend when she said there was “no reverse gear” on her plans.

(Image: BBC)

And the National Union of Teachers (NUT) at its annual conference in Brighton voted for a one-day strike next term over the controversial changes.

Education ministers insist that turning schools into academies - state-funded, but outside of local authority control - will benefit pupils and put control of schools into the hands of heads and teachers.

But an NUT survey of 831 school leaders found only 3% think that the government has a “sensible range of policies.”

Read more:

Only 1% of school heads and deputies think that the government “marks decisions on school improvement policy based on evidence.”

And school leaders have no confidence in the ways their schools are currently held to account. Just 2% of the leaders believe the way schools are judged and measured are “transparent, reliable and fair.”

Most (75%) said morale had declined over the past two years and nearly half (49%) said they were thinking of leaving the profession.

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

The survey found the impact of cuts was starting to bite, 70% of school leaders believed a lack of funding was affected education standards in their classrooms.

Christine Blower, NUT general secretary, said: “These findings are bleak and reveal bitter distrust from school leaders of the direction of travel for education policy.

“Parents will be alarmed that school leaders are struggling to recruit and that almost three-quarters of leaders predict that the funding situation next year will harm education standards.

“The government has the wrong priorities. It dresses up every change in the cloak of advancing standards, this is fooling no one.

“Their strategy of cuts, teacher shortages and far-reaching chaotic curriculum and assessment changes simply isn’t working.”