Member News
There will be 32 schools reopening as academies this month after taking up Michael Gove's offer to apply for academy status, government figures have revealed.
The education secretary has announced the numbers of primary, secondary and special schools that have responded to his invitation to apply for academy freedoms.
According to figures released today, out of the 2,000 schools that expressed an interest, just 142 will convert during this academic year.
Among the 32 schools that have completed the process to re-open, seven are primary schools, the first academies for this age group.
It is expected that 110 more will follow over the coming months, including 40 primary schools.
Schools taking academy status are opting out of council control and instead become funded by central government.
They will be free to set their own curriculum as long as it is "broad and balanced".
A government spokesman said the tight timescale suggested why more schools have not yet become academies.
Parliament passed legislation to pave way for the changes in July, amid claims from Labour that it had been rushed through.
Teaching unions labeled the numbers a "failure", saying the figures do not represent a success.
Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), rejected claims the policy would raise standards and said "it is something of a failure to have so few schools opening at this stage".
She said: "This large scale rejection of academies indicates that schools do not see the benefits of such an unnecessary upheaval and wish to remain within the local, democratic family of schools."
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT union criticised the opting out of schools into academy status, welcoming the "low take-up".
"The idea that a handful of governors or an individual head teacher can make such a serious and irreversible decision without having consulted fully with staff, parents and the local community will shock all right-minded people.
"It is likely that some parents will only find out their school has changed its status when the list is published."
Gove said today: "This government believes that teachers and head teachers, not politicians and bureaucrats, should control schools and have more power over how they are run.
"That's why we are spreading academy freedoms. This will give heads more power to tackle disruptive children, to protect and reward teachers better, and to give children the specialist teaching they need."
He told BBC News: "The numbers so far are very encouraging, there are signs of real hope for the future."
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.