Academy schools £1bn over budget

The subject of academy schools has been in and out of the news for the last decade, but with the number of schools being awarded the status growing exponentially (an amazing 1,037% since 2010), and the costs spiralling out of control, they have once again hit the headlines.

What are Academies?

Academies are schools which have been taken out of the control of the local authority and are now run by the Department of Education. Academy schools are partially funded by a sponsor, either an individual or an organisation, and are given the freedom to be innovative and creative with their curriculum. Originally intended for schools preforming below national requirements, any school can now apply for academy status.

Overspend

It was reported yesterday in the Independent that in the last 2 years the Department for Education has spent over £8.3bn on the academies programme, an incredible £1bn over budget. This has resulted in cuts being made through the education sector, including nearly £200m set aside to help improve underperforming schools and raise the overall standards of education in deprived areas.

There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the creation of academy schools and in the last year there have been a number of very negative stories released. With reports of academy schools selling junk food banned in mainstream schools (Guardian, 2012), head teachers being paid more than the top allowance (Telegraph, 2012) and academies generally performing worse than their state counterparts (Guardian, 2012) the hostility towards academies is understandable.

If the current trend is anything to go by it seems likely that all schools will eventually become academies. It is perhaps too early to judge the success of the academy system however there is something a little unpalatable about the financial divide that is developing in the school system. It seems grossly unfair that the overspend on Academies is so high at a time when non-academy schools are being asked to make such severe cuts.

If your school is considering becoming an academy, or you would just like to know some more about them, then try the New Academy Guide or Heena Modi’s blog for discussions about the pros and cons of being awarded the status.