From September 2014, 8 regional schools commissioners will be responsible for taking important decisions about the academies in their area. The commissioners will make decisions on applications from schools wanting to become academies and organisations wanting to sponsor an academy.
They will also be responsible for taking action when an academy is underperforming.
The commissioners will not be involved with academies that are performing well or with local authority-maintained schools.
Each commissioner will be supported by a board of 5 or 6 outstanding academy headteachers, who will be elected by other academy headteachers in the region.