Additional Academy Info

Socialist Worker Online (9/4/2005) “City Academies Transforming Education in Their Own Image”

Department for children, schools and families “What are Academies?”

Department for children, schools and families (23/2/07)“Academies on Track to Give Value for Money Says NAO”

Some facts from the DfCSF website:

There are currently 47 Academies opened.

The first 3 Academies opened in September 2002 and 9 in September 2003.

The most recent one opened in April 2007.

27 are in the implementation stage

68 are in the feasibility stage

What are the criteria for a school to become an Academy?

Some Academies are brand new schools in areas which need the extra school places. Most of them replace existing weak or underperforming schools. As a broad rule of thumb, the Government is prepared to consider any secondary school where in 2006 fewer than 30% of pupils gained five or more GCSEs at grades A* – C (including English and Maths) as a potential Academy project. In addition, local authorities should always consider an Academy as an option for dealing with a school in special measures, or subject to an improvement notice, whatever its results.

Do Academies receive more funding than maintained schools?

Ministers are very clear that there must be parity of funding with schools in the maintained sector that operate in similar circumstances. Otherwise, those schools could justifiably argue that they are being treated inequitably. We want to ensure that funding will allow Academy innovations to be replicated in other schools.

More to follow...