THE withdrawal by three schools from a plan to become sponsored academies may be seen as a failure by some but it is at least reassuring those in charge were able to slam on the brakes.

The concern at the widespread embrace of academy status by so many schools was that it was in haste.

But The Warriner, Hornton and Sibford Gower schools saw something they didn’t like in the proposals and so did the right thing in stepping back.