All schools in England 'should become academies' in a bid to end the current 'pick and mix' system, Gavin Williamson has said. The Education Secretary believes the pandemic has shown that it is 'no longer viable for schools to be single entities' as they need the 'safety net of a strong family'. In a speech to the Confederation of School Trusts' virtual conference, Mr Williamson said he wanted to work towards a 'single model' school system where 100 per cent of pupils across the country are taught in academies. He announced plans for a 'try before you buy' scheme to allow schools to link up with academy chains for a trial period before deciding whether they want to leave council control.