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Academy research

Executive summary

  • The executive summary provides a background of the study, key findings and summarises the implications for leadership development.

Background and aims of the study

The academies programme was established in 2000 to improve schools with persistent low achievement or schools situated with little or no educational aspirations. Academies were also intended to become part of the local strategies to increase choice and diversity in education, while continuing to be inclusive, mixed-ability schools.

Academies have a number of features which distinguish them from maintained schools. In particular:

  • they are free from local authority control
  • they are free (within certain limits) to adapt the National Curriculum to suit the needs of their pupils
  • they are able to set their own pay and conditions for staff
  • they can change the length of the terms and school days
  • sponsored academies are led by sponsors who come from a wide range of backgrounds eg, business and voluntary sector

The main differences between sponsored academies and those converting under the new arrangements are that those converting:

  • will not necessarily serve areas of high deprivation
  • will not be required to have an external sponsor
  • will not be required to establish an endowment fund
  • will not be subject to routine school inspection by Ofsted (if they are rated as outstanding)
  • will convert in a shorter timescale
  • will receive relatively modest project startup funding of around £25,000 from the Department for Education
  • are expected to support another school or schools

Since the Academies Act was passed in 2010, the programme has gathered momentum and as of 1 April 2011, 357 schools had converted to academy status, all of them with an 'outstanding' Ofsted inspection grade. The Secretary of State has now extended the range of schools eligible for academy status such that:

  • From November 2010, schools assessed by Ofsted as ‘good with outstanding features’ are automatically eligible to become an academy.
  • Schools other than those judged by Ofsted as ‘outstanding’ or ‘good with outstanding features’  need to apply in partnership with an existing academy, or join an existing academy trust with a proven record of school improvement
  • From 1 January 2011, special schools are eligible to apply for academy status

Research project

The research project, led by a team at PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) and involving Dr John Dunford and Robert Hill, focused on:

  • sponsored academies in order to understand what is distinctive about leading a successful academy and the leadership development implications of this
  • recently converted academies, looking the leadership of these academies and what converting to an academy is like in practice

The research involved the following:

  • An overview of academy policy and research studies
  • Stakeholder consultations
  • 10 case studies of sponsored academies
  • 10 case studies of converting academies
  • A survey of all sponsored academies
  • A survey of all newly converted academies including those that plan to convert ( during academies year 2010-11)
  • Several events with practitioners

More detail about the background to the study, the methodology and research questions used can be found in chapter two of the full report.

The following were included as case study schools

Sponsored

  • David Young Academy
  • Trinity Academy
  • Strood Academy
  • The Priory Witham Academy
  • All Saints Academy
  • Oasis Shirley Park
  • Skinners Kent Academy

Converting schools

  • Kingsmead Academy
  • Lark Rise Lower School
  • Priorslee Primary
  • Giles Academy
  • Sandy Hill Community Primary
  • Durand Academy
  • Watford Grammar School for Girls
  • Pates Grammer School
  • Altrincham Grammar School for Boys
  • Meopham Community Academy