Tough lessons from academy schools

‘The number of young people excluded from academies has risen disproportionately,’ writes Dr Simon Gibbs. Photograph: Steve Lyne/Rex FeaturesDamian Hinds claims “the overwhelming majority of academies tell a positive story … we’ve come a long way in the past eight years” (53,000 pupils trapped in ‘zombie’ academy schools, Labour says, 15 April). Try telling that to the increasing proportion of children and young people (and their families) permane