September 2010
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This seminar offered a timely opportunity to discuss the future of the academies programme and the establishment of 'free schools' - schools run by outside providers with state funds. The seminar followed the passage through Parliament of the Academies Bill which planned to give more schools the opportunity to become academies, allowing them to opt out of local authority control. The proposed Bill would also allow a greater range of providers - including parents and teachers - to run educational facilities through the establishment of 'free schools'.
Sessions examined the record of academies in driving up school standards and improving pupil attainment, whether alternative approaches to school improvement should be considered and if the programme is offering good value for money. The seminar also looked at whether rapid expansion risks affecting the quality of the programme. The impact of academies on the communities around them and how 'free schools' should be funded and held accountable was also considered.
