Blow for academies policy as only 153 schools apply

By Richard Garner, Education Editor

Friday, 30 July 2010

Fewer than one in 12 of the schools which registered an interest in becoming academies have gone ahead with the plan.

Only 153 have made an application to switch status, despite a claim in the House of Commons by the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, that more than 1,100 had applied.

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A government website showed that 1,900 had expressed an interest in becoming academies.

In reality, even fewer than 153 are likely to be eligible at the beginning of the new school year in September – the date given by Mr Gove for the start of a "rocket boost" for the academies programme.

Schools that become academies have control of their own budget and have freedom from the national curriculum.

Ministers rushed legislation through the Commons earlier this week to allow schools a change of status from September. Earlier, Mr Gove told MPs that "more than 1,100 schools have applied for academy freedoms".

But it has since emerged that if a school wanted to browse the website to find out more about academy status it had to supply its name and address – an action which could easily be deemed as expressing an interest.

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "Interest in becoming an academy seems to be rather a damp squib. Our education system is too important to be subject to acting at haste but repenting at leisure."

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, added: "We were assured by the Secretary of State for Education, during the Queen's Speech debate on 2 June, that 'more than 1,100 schools have applied for academy freedoms'.

"The publication of this latest list means 957 of those schools decided not to seek academy status. One has to question why the Secretary of State felt the need to exaggerate and mislead the public in this way."

Labour's education spokesman, Ed Balls, added: "Michael Gove railroaded the Academies Bill through Parliament in a way that's only normally done for emergencies like anti-terrorism legislation. He said this was because hundreds of schools wanted to become academies."

Mr Balls added that the saga was reminiscent of "the chaotic announcement on school buildings" where ministers rushed out an error-strewn list of the schools whose building programmes were being cut.

Mr Gove, speaking at the Commons Education Select Committee on Wednesday, said he expected the momentum of the academies programme to build over the coming months. Many had not yet concluded the necessary negotiations to make the switch in September.

Of the 153 schools on the list which have registered an application, 107 are secondary schools and 44 primary schools. Two are all-through schools for five to 19-year-olds.

Within a few weeks of coming into office, Mr Gove had written to the headteacher of every primary, secondary and special school asking them to consider applying for academy status.

Under the coalition Government's new legislation, every school ranked "outstanding" by Ofsted, the education standards watchdog, will automatically be able to transfer to academy status.

  • Guest
    Schools have had a matter of weeks to consider making the biggest changes to they way they are run for generations, and you are, what, surprised that they have not all done so immediately? That is a bit crass - you wouldn't move house that fast. Let's see where we are at this time next year when schools have had time to consider the changes, time to see a few examples from these 153, time to consult with parents etc etc. Given this http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/uk-literacy-at-worrying-levels-says-world-study-673942.html - "there are about seven million British adults unable to read, write or add up to the level they would need to communicate in the world of business" the one thing that cannot be right is the old system as presided over by Labour for 13 years.
  • Jake_K
    Schools have had a matter of weeks to consider making the biggest changes to the way they are run for generations, and you are, what, surprised that they have not all done so immediately? That is a bit crass - you wouldn't move house that fast. Let's see where we are at this time next year when schools have had time to consider the changes, time to see a few examples from these 153, time to consult with parents etc etc.
  • Fareham
    It makes you wonder what the point of these academies is. Over recent years I have been appalled at the dismally low standards of education of school-leavers and graduates alike when trying to hire them.

    As Osborne is now planning to let in tens of thousands of Indian graduates under the Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) scheme (it's a scam demanded by industry who claim that there aren't enough qualified people in the UK - really?), I suppose their lack of knowledge won't much matter as all the jobs will be taken anyway.

    What mystifies me about this scheme is that the ICT graduates pay tax in India, so not only do the jobs that our graduates should be doing, get passed to citizens of other countries, UK plc gets no tax revenue from it and yet has to support the unemployed graduates that might otherwise be starting off on the first steps of a career.

  • bobbellinhell
    This is comparatively good news - the longer that privatisation can be staved off, the better.
  • Hardrada
    Quite - and I understand why you write as you do: these people (all of them) make fast and loose with statistics.

    But, with respect, incorrect figures aren't necessarily conclusive evidence that the individual who supplied them has told lies: they might be, for a number of reasons, genuine error. We have heard the term "in good faith" used a good many times in recent years as an excuse. Certainly, Mr Gove will argue it, if it suits him; and you would, I think (even if you happened to be right) find it impossible to prove him wrong.

    The Education Secretary already has, you point out, "clocked up form" in terms of incompetence by releasing incorrect information which led some schools to believe that their building programmes were approved when, in fact, they were scrapped. (I accept this as genuine error, because I cannot see the slightest gain he might possibly have made by acting deliberately.)

    Let us be honest, if mere incorrect statistics were sufficient to impeach a minister or an administration, New Labour would have lost a Cabinet member at least every month - and I suspect that the government would never have lasted beyond its first term.

    And perhaps that ought to have been so; perhaps it ought to be so now: but surely, that invites a discussion on an entirely different level?

    I really can't be impressed with all the bluster from Ed Balls: the nearest he ever gets to the truth is by accident, when it happens to pass him on the other side of the road.
  • thebnpwants2stealmypassport
    Free schools are little more than a money grab by the relatively prosperous at the expense of the less well off. How long before fee paying schools are allowed to apply for unds, or free schools are encouraged to charge fees? Peace & love
  • By jove, Gove's done it again.. What a waste of time and money
  • My school is one of those on the list.

    They waved a cheque under collective nose of our salivating governors who were silly enough to think that the money would still be there once we became an academy.

    The reason they rushed it through in this manner was to ensure that teachers would not be able to leave their current establishment until the end of the first term in the new school year. It goes without saying there was no consultation with either staff or parents... unless telling us that we were going to become an academy counts.

    I start interviews for a position in a maintained school on the 1st September, or earlier if something suitable shows up. Rather a shame since I like my students, but to work in an academy is to work in a private school without any of the perks.
  • "Only 153 have made an application to switch status, despite a claim in the House of Commons by the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, that more than 1,100 had applied." Having been told it's a sure sign he's lying Michael Gove is learning to speak without moving his lips. Fatuous Stupid Incompetent and given his attitude to the poor a eugenicist one would surmise. I can only assume Cameron etc keep him on in a vain effort to make Balls look good in the distant and now forlorn hope Labour would elect him. Oh and to load the dice for the middle classes in the education system as Lansley is in the health system.
  • Hardrada
    I don't much care for Mr Gove, but without evidence, the accusation that he "lied" is, I submit, a little over the top. If you want to consider lies in relation to education, there are 13 years-worth, demonstrably attributable to New Labour - and even though they're out of government, politicians like Ed Balls continue to tell them.
  • julianzzz
    Who on earth went to the voting booth thinking " I must cast a vote for academy schools"? Less then 0.001% of all voters I suspect, most simply wanted Mr grumpy Brown out, smiley faces in!! I suspect that we will soon be sick of well fed smiley faces telling us to take our nasty medicine. I wonder what we'll vote in next?
  • Cedav
    The issue is that Gove has lied about the number of schools wanting to be academies. He said earlier that over 1100 wanted "the freedoms" (cash).

    "That?s why last week I wrote to every school in the country inviting them to take up academy freedoms if they wished to do so. The response has been overwhelming. In just one week, over 1100 schools have applied."

    Mr Gove has previously demonstrated his incompetence; now he demonstrates his dishonesty: what a fine example for our children!
  • Why is this a blow? No one wants schools to switch for the fun of it, but only if they think they can do a better job by switching.

    PS: Why are the self-serving attacks by a vested interest and by a politician from another party part of a "news" story. I would like to hear what Labour's education spokesman, Ed Balls, has to say about how to make schools better. I have ZERO interest in reading what he thinks of Mr Gove. (Or rather what he says about Mr Gove purely to score political points.) There is no chance that his comments will help a single student -nor were they designed to do so. So why do we have to be bothered by them in this article?)

    Before anyone goes all party-political on me, I have no interest in reading about Mr Gove trying to score points on Mr Balls, either. I am just fed up with reporting of attacks made by politicians trying to advance their careers - I'd like to read about solutions they propose to fix problems facing the people of the UK.
  • Hardrada
    Keep your money in your pocket.
  • 987mike
    Bye Bye Gove
  • 987mike
    another cowboy
  • 987mike
    you are definitely into cowboys
  • 987mike
    I bet you like westerns as well.
  • 987mike
    you mean what the cowboys offered was crap and the majority of schools have seen this.
  • Cedav
    Hardrada - your evidence. - "over 1000 have applied."

    "The response has been overwhelming. In just one week, over 1100 schools have applied. Of these, 626 are outstanding schools, including over 250 primary schools, nearly 300 secondary schools (over half of all the outstanding secondary schools in the country) and over 50 special schools."

    From the DFE website. In the news - news headlines - 2nd June
  • Cedav
    I think that this is total nonsense. Hundreds of schools were pre-approved! They will take nearly anyone that applies - let's see what percentage get turned down over the next few years.
  • BeachKim
    An Mp telling a lie surely not!! I do hope Mr Gove is made to apologise for his blatant misrepresentation of the facts. It shows just how far he is willing to go to play his political games with the education of our children.
  • Cedav
    Check the DFE website Hardrada. Gove made a press statements there proclaiming the numbers of schools applying. It is there in black and white. "The response has been overwhelming. In just one week, over 1100 schools have applied. Of these, 626 are outstanding schools, including over 250 primary schools, nearly 300 secondary schools (over half of all the outstanding secondary schools in the country) and over 50 special schools." http://www.education.gov.uk/news/news/academyfreedoms This is the evidence you require and hopefully the press will follow it up!
  • mike_espana
    I suspect that many schools who believed they could scrape through and get academy status under Ed Balls have now realised under Gove there will be serious checks made on their ability and suitability. Rather than have the label of "FAILED" put on them, they decided to sit tight and plod along at their mediocre level.
  • Hardrada
    They were offered the option, applied for it, considered it - and declined it? So what?
  • Adrianmidwales
    Michael Gove must be the least popular marionette that Gerry and Sylvia Anderson ever invented. Parker looked very similar and was way popular. Maybe Mike should become a driver instead of a politician.