EDUCATION Secretary Nicky Morgan has defended her Government’s plan to create more academies - despite growing concerns whether they are any better than the schools they replace.

During a visit to Yarm Primary School Mrs Morgan insisted that more academies is the way to raise standards.

On the day that she announced that thousands of children and parents across the North of England will benefit from a £10m “injection of expertise” to local schools – by allowing the best academies in the North to become sponsors of underperforming neighbouring schools - the Education Secretary said academies “are showing that they can drive up standards and that’s why we believe in allowing heads and teachers a greater say in running schools.”

The three regional schools commissioners covering the North of England will use the extra funding to bring in some of the best academy sponsors from across the country and to set up new clusters of academies where they are needed most.

She rejected criticism by the Public Accounts Committee that it was impossible for the Department of Education to properly monitor academies now that they have been removed from local government control and the Education Select Committee’s doubts whether academies help raise school standards, insisting that “the signs are good.”

The Education Secretary told The Northern Echo that academies and free schools “are actually more accountable to the Department of Education and to the Education Funding Agency” .

She added: “We know that in the North of England GCSE results are not as good as they should be and we also know we have some excellent sponsors who are showing in other parts of the country that they can drive up standards,” she added.

During her visit to the 420 pupil school, rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, Mrs Morgan listened to the school’s rock band, sat in on lessons and had a private meeting with staff.

Yarm Primary School has been an academy since February 2014 and is planning to become part of the Enquire Learning Trust group of academies.

In a joint statement with Chancellor George Osborne Mrs Morgan also announced the new Northern Futures University Technical College in Newcastle which will aim to educate thousands of young people as IT and healthcare science experts.

For full story on the UTC announcement see Echo Business Pages.