<p><br /> Education Secretary Michael Gove has outlined details of his plans to grant state schools more independence.<br /> </p><p><br /> The newly named Department for Education says it wants to "cut red tape" and allow primary and secondary schools the same freedoms as academies.<br /> </p><p><br /> It comes the day after two education Bills, which will pave the way for "free schools" - a key plank of the Tories plans for education reform, were announced in the Queen's Speech.<br /> </p><p><br /> The first of those, the Academies Bill, will allow schools to opt out of local authority control, and apply directly to the Education Secretary for academy status.<br /> </p><p><br /> Schools rated as "outstanding" by Ofsted, around 600 secondaries and about 2,000 primaries, will be "pre-approved", effectively meaning their applications are fast-tracked.<br /> </p><p><br /> On the plans, Former Education Secretary Ed Balls predicted a "two tier" and "deeply unfair" system as a result of fast tracking academy status for the highest performing schools and allowing free schools: "The price for that will be paid by cancelling new school buildings, taking money, teachers, away from existing schools, often in more disadvantaged communities."<br /> </p>
