Conservatives in Leicestershire are split over national and local education policy after the new coalition government made a commitment to offer all schools Academy status. Speaking to the Leicester Mercury, Mr Ould has claimed that "He was not convinced academies would be as independent as promised and would have less of a voice if they had to report to the Government. He said: "If schools do not have to answer to us they will have to answer to Westminster, so this seems to be switching one control for another."

Mr Ould's comments come after the failure of the Building Schools for the Future proposals in Loughborough, and the wide-spread opposition to the closure of King Edward VII school in Melton Mowbray. Parent's and staff at the school have mounted a vociferous campaign to save the school as a local secondary school, while Mr Ould has forced through it's closure claiming that is was unpopular with parents.

A Facebook campaing has called for Mr Ould to Resign, while more than 2000 people joined the Facebook group to Save King Edwards