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Government to help more schools become academies
Tue 25 May 2010
More schools in England and Wales may be able to gain academy status under new government plans.
The Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalition unveiled its legislative agenda for the new parliament in this week's Queen's Speech.
This included plans to introduce a bill that would give schools more freedom to become academies and give teachers more power to determine the nature of the curriculum.
According to the government, this could help to drive up standards in the education sector and allow schools to be free of local authority control.
The government believes that the process of opening an academy would be simplified and accelerated if the requirement to consult a local authority beforehand is removed.
It argued that providing schools with the freedom to deliver education in a manner of their choosing would make them "clearly accountable" for the outcomes they deliver.
However, the National Union of Teachers said the government's argument that turning a school into an academy will automatically raise standards is "wholly unproven".
The union added that creating academies on the scale proposed by the government will lead to billions of pounds worth of publicly funded assets being handed to private sponsors.
Andrea Squires, a partner at Winckworth Sherwood Solicitors, commented: "Whilst the proposals might be headline grabbing, schools and education providers will want to understand the detail of what is being suggested before they leap in this direction.
"The hearts and mind battle hasn't been won yet."
Stephen Hart, a senior solicitor at Winckworth Sherwood, added: "This is the start of a potentially radical change for state schools.
"Traditionally the academy was seen as a route whereby failing schools could remove themselves from local authority control and receive more freedom over their curriculum and their staff's terms and conditions.
"Extending the programme to successful schools means that they will set the standards for state schools.
"Sponsors of academies will not only have a financial interest in the academy but will also inevitably have a say in the curriculum and the standards of education at their schools.
"Schools should look at the small print, however, particularly where the ownership of their land is concerned, and they should seek expert guidance on the move to academy status.
"Overall, however, this is the start of a revolution which could see state schools transformed in the medium term, with a greater variety of providers, more involvement of the private sector and eventually a liberalised teaching establishment."
