News:Layout 1 14/09/2009 12:48 Page 6
news
Govt waives up-front payment
for Academy sponsors
There will no longer be a financial requirement for new Academy sponsors for schools
opening from September 2011. Instead of investing the £2m up-front sponsorship,
organisations will need to demonstrate a sound educational track record along with the
requisite skills and leadership.
THE CHANGES are intended to smooth up educational standards. does not support the Academies
the path to creating chains of state Sponsors will still be expected to make programme as the only or even the best
schools under single management as serious and sustained financial route to school improvement.”
proposed in June’s Schools White Paper, commitment – with financial Others expressed similar concerns
and builds on the success of abolishing commitments for existing projects, past about the prospect of an expanding and
the fee for universities, further the expression of interest stage, to be yet unproven Academies programme.
education, college and high performing honoured and sponsors will be Chris Keates, general secretary of the
school sponsors. encouraged to set up endowment funds NASUWT, said: “There is no evidence to
“Academy sponsorship has never just to drive up standards – as is the case in demonstrate that academies do any
been about the money,” said Children’s US universities. better or worse than the generality of
Secretary Ed Balls. “We want the people schools or that handing over governance
and organisations with the right skills and Sceptics and management and previously public
leadership to come into the Academy The teaching unions remain sceptical assets to sponsors makes any material
programme. Scrapping the £2m about the Academies programme. difference to the standard of education.”
sponsorship has led to a boom in the Christine Blower, general secretary of the
number of universities, schools and National Union of Teachers, said the idea
colleges coming in – so it makes sense to of interested companies simply having to
do the same for the voluntary and prove they have the necessary skills and
UNIVERSITIES currently
private sector.” leadership to run an Academy really does
sponsoring or partnering academies
not stand up to scrutiny. “One of the
include: Wolverhampton; Chichester;
Criteria latest Academies to open is being
Sunderland; Bath; Nottingham;
The proposals for how Academy sponsors sponsored by Aston Villa Football Club. I
University of East Anglia; University
will be accredited will be published for defy anyone to suggest that a football
College for the Creative Arts; Cumbria;
consultation in the autumn – with the club can know more about the running of
Liverpool; Kent; City University; Aston;
first selected under it in spring 2010 in schools than a local education authority.
Lancashire; Bedfordshire; West of
time for the academies to open in 2011. “Where the focus needs to lie is on
England; Oxford Brookes and Brunel.
Sponsors will have to prove outstanding strategies which will genuinely help
management skills; a clear commitment children from socially deprived
to working with parents, teachers, and backgrounds, rather than feeding a
pupils; and capacity and potential to drive burgeoning two-tier system. The evidence
Sample school underway
in Durham
SHOTTON HALL Secondary school is one the theatre itself is clad in metallic
of the sample schools for Durham’s BSF shingles to shine and appear “gem-like”.
programme, which recently reached Once completed in December 2010, it is
financial close. Earlier this year, Atkins intended that the new facilities will be
was selected by the consortium Inspired open to the community, providing space
Spaces (led by Carillion), as one of the for local art and community groups to
design consultants to deliver the £500m meet, enabling the school to play a key
programme, which will see 40 schools role in the social regeneration of the area.
delivered across Durham over the next As part of the masterplan, Atkins has
ten years in four distinct waves. also designed Shotton Hall Primary
The new secondary school will School, which is incorporated onto the
specialise in performing arts, with key same site. It is proposed that the two
facilities placed at the front of the school schools share access to an outdoor
to create a dramatic first impression and performance area as well as a service
inspire those who enter the campus - yard and combined heat and power plant.
6 edbmagazine.co.uk
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