Academies plan will hit poorest

Statistics released in response to a parliamentary question posed by Ed Balls show that outstanding primary and secondary schools cater for fewer than the average pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) or those with SEN.

Balls told CYP Now that the government is wrong to offer extra funding and support to schools already judged as the best. "Support for those who need extra help will suffer if the funding is diverted to the very schools where these problems are least prevalent. The schools left behind will suffer, creating a two-tier system."

Balls argued that funding should be targeted at struggling schools. "This is the proof that (Education Secretary) Michael Gove's education policy is about excellence for a few, not excellence for all," he said.

Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, agreed that vulnerable pupils would suffer under the academies expansion.

"We are concerned about whether academies will be able to support their small number of SEN and FSM pupils once local authority support is taken away, and they have to prioritise funding themselves," she said.

She added that outstanding academies would have too much freedom. "Plans to stop inspecting schools which have consistently high results is likely to act as a disincentive to them taking harder to reach and less academically able students," she explained.

"Some already existing academies operate zero-tolerance policies and exclude higher numbers of difficult students, among them disproportionately SEN pupils."

Philip Parkin, general secretary of the union Voice, said: "Given that statistics show that outstanding schools have fewer FSM and SEN pupils than all schools we can only fear that this situation will get worse rather than better," he said.

Responding to the concerns a Department for Education spokesman said: "Funding for SEN pupils follows the individual, so no school or child will miss out.

"We are clear that becoming an academy should not bring about a financial advantage or disadvantage to a school."

Percentage of pupils with special educational needs or eligible for free school meals in outstanding schools compared with all schools

Percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals

• At outstanding primary schools 12.9
• At all primary schools 16
• At outstanding secondary schools 11.3
• At all secondary schools 13.4

Percentage of pupils with special educational needs

• At outstanding primary schools 16.4
• At all primary schools 19.7
• At outstanding secondary schools 16.8
• At all secondary schools 21

Source: Department for Education Figures for 2009.