Angela Harrison, education correspondent for the BBC, has said that the Act "could be the most radical overhaul of schools in England for a generation".

[13] Julian Glover said the "rush hides not the enormity but the thinness of the measure; opposition outrage enhancing the impression that something big must be under way" and the Act "concedes no new powers of any importance".

[15] Janet Daley says this will liberate schools from "monolithic local authority control"[16] while journalist Toby Young said the Act will revitalise the goal of the existing academies system to provide an increased level of choice for parents.

[17] Professor Alan Smithers of the University of Buckingham said that the plan to increase autonomy for a select number of schools will be divisive and disadvantaged children would lose out.

[18] Supporters say that the "pupil premium" (which is not included within the Academies Act but will be brought forward in forthcoming legislation) will countermand this by allocating extra funds for schools with a greater intake of disadvantaged children.

[4] Criticism of provisions in the Act have also come from the British Humanist Association,[19] the Local Government Information Unit,[20] the Liberal Democrat Education Association,[21] teachers' unions,[22][23] the Campaign for Science and Engineering,[24] the Institute of Education[25] and Sir Peter Newsam, former Chief Schools Adjudicator.

[26] The element of the Act which eliminates the requirement for there to be local consultation was criticised as undemocratic by education lawyers and the National Governors' Association.