NUT brands academy scheme disappointing as term begins

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has said the figures are disappointing and demonstrated that the government’s move to open up academy status to more schools had failed.

NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: "It was a great mistake to rush through legislation enabling schools to change for the new term and the government is paying the price for their indecent haste. The academies programme has simply not caught the imagination of school leaders, teachers and parents."

However, Education Secretary Michael Gove said that the total represented record progress compared with the early stages of academies when only 17 opened in the first three years. The previous government oversaw the opening of 203 academies.

Gove added that the purpose of academies was to give teachers and heads more power over how schools 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."

A government spokesman denied that the figures were disappointing as there had been no target set for new academies. "The figures are lower than the expressions of interest we have had, but this is only the first wave of schools and we expect a lot more over the coming months. It’s a permissive piece of legislation that allows schools to take the time they want to undergo the process. Nobody is chasing them."

The 142 new academies include seven primary schools which become the first ever primary academies to open. Sixty-four new academies replace failing schools this September with a further 10 opening by April 2011.  

Academies are required to work with underperforming local schools to help improve overall standards, a factor that was welcomed by David Hampson, principal of Tollbar Business and Enterprise College in Grimsby.

"We already have been working with a number of other schools locally and nationally, sharing our winning ways. In fact, Tollbar, as Tollbar Edge, is the sponsor of another academy which replaces a local school in special measures."