Over 1,000 bids to achieve academy status

The Department for Education (DfE) announced yesterday that 1,070 existing schools have applied for academy status since June last year with 647 applications across the country being accepted.

Of these 384 have already converted and now operate as independent state schools with funding direct from the Government. This means nationally two schools a day are converting to academy status.

During April, 240 schools applied for academy status.

Academies were set up by the last Government as new schools which replaced struggling secondaries in deprived areas.

The academies were set up in new buildings and backed by a sponsor such as a business, faith group or charity. They were run outside council control and were given the freedom to set their own admissions, employment arrangements and timetable.

Now the coalition Government is looking to extend these freedoms to all state schools. Initially Ministers announced that any school rated as good or outstanding would be pre-approved to apply for academy status.

However, the DfE has now said it will welcome applications from all schools “performing well” which can make a case that they would benefit.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said: “More than a thousand schools have now applied to be academies.

“A third of secondary schools are now either an academy or have started on the road to conversion. This represents a fundamental shift in power away from government and towards teachers. Teachers, not politicians or bureaucrats, know best how to run schools.

“Schools want the freedom to decide what is best for their pupils. They want to be free to innovate in the classroom, inspiring pupils to learn. Academy status gives them that freedom and is the reason why even more schools will follow these pioneers in the following months and years.”

Norton College in Malton is one of the latest schools in the region to convert. Staff member Des MacPhee said: “We want to secure Norton College’s outstanding practice and be recognised as a teaching school which leads a collaborative and school-led partnership focused on school improvement. We will enhance outcomes for all of our learners by using the additional flexibilities brought about by academy status.”