DfE facing legal action again over unlawful Oak quango

Education publishers have accused the Department for Education of acting unlawfully in setting up Oak National Academy, and have issued Kit Malthouse a fresh legal letter threatening judicial review.

The British Educational Suppliers Association believes DfE’s flouted official guidance when establishing the curriculum arms-length body.

Government rules state new public bodies “should only be created if there is a clear and pressing requirement, a clear need for the state to provide the function or service through a public body, and no viable alternative – effectively establishing new public bodies as a last resort”.