The news that Wood Green School’s plans to convert to an academy have stalled must raise serious concerns for the school, education in Oxfordshire and wider Government policy.

The charity that has been working with the school abandoned plans to set up an academy with Wood Green because it did not want to take on school buildings that need work.

Yet the school says the charity has been invaluable in helping improve educational standards since it went into special measures in 2013, so would have been an ideal partner.

This raises serious questions. First, how is it that funds have not been made available to keep the school buildings maintained?

The Government has been cutting financial support for capital projects in schools and this suggests the problem runs deep.

Second, the Government has encouraged schools to set up academies to raise educational standards. But the Wood Green example shows how difficult it can be to find a provider with the cash and the expertise needed to turn things around.

Third, this is happening in Cameron’s constituency at the same time his Government plans to convert all failing schools to academies and raises questions about schools which fall through the gaps.