014. Academies - Boarding

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ACADEMIESand the future ofstate education

Edited by Julian Astleand Conor Ryan


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First published in Great Britain in 2008 by CentreF rum,6th Fl r,27 Queen Annes Gate,

L nd n SW1H 9BUwww.centre rum. rg 2008. Te essays in this c llecti n are c pyright the auth r in each case.Te m ral right the auth rs has been asserted.

All rights reserved. With ut limiting the rights under c pyright reserved ab ve, npart this publicati n may be repr duced, st red r intr duced int a retrievalsystem, r transmitted, in any rm r by any means (electr nic, mechanical,ph t c pying, rec rding r therwise), with ut the pri r written permissi n b ththe c pyright wner and the publisher this b k.

ISBN - 1-902622-72-3

Printed in Great Britain by C ntract Print, C rby, N rthampt nshire.


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Contents

F rew rd Andrew Adonis

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Te hist ry academiesConor Ryan

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Sp ns rsDan Moynihan

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G vernance and sta ng Martyn Coles

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Curriculum Michael Wilshaw

32

All-thr ugh academiesRichard Gilliland

41

C mmunity Philip OHear

48

echn l gy Mark Grundy

57

B arding

Anthony Seldon

64

Primary academiesPaul Marshall

72

Fr m academies t ree sch ls Julian Astle

81


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ForewordAndrew Adonis

Whenever I am aced by MPs r c uncill rs suspici us academies, I simply suggest that they g and visit ne. Tey alm st always c me back enthusiastic and say they want

ne. I have seen the uture sec ndary educati n and itw rks, as ne parliamentary c lleague said n returning

r m the utstanding M ssb urne Academy in Hackney.In uture I will als suggest that sceptics read this

b k, n t r my remarks but r what the principals academies have t say. All them are writing r m

c nsiderable experience sch l leadership, and all them are c nvinced that these new independent statesch ls represent a decisive break with past ailure and achance t shape a undamentally better educati nal uture

r ur c untry.

Tere are n w 83 academies. A urther 230 will penby 2010 as we accelerate the pr gramme. Academy GCSEresults are rising at m re than twice the nati nal average,including in English and maths. Tey are n average threetimes versubscribed, in stark c ntrast t the ailing rweak sch ls which they m stly replaced. As C n r Ryandetails in his intr ducti n, o sted is av urably impressed,giving c nsistently high ratings r their leadership andmanagement, which is what matters m st t the creati n a success ul sch l. Te annual Pricewaterh useC perssurveys th se wh attend, r w rk in, academies tell an


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equally p sitive tale, with verwhelmingly str ng supp rtr their eth s, leadership and standards.

Te bene ts o independence

Academy principals explain why this is the case in thell wing chapters. Tey explain the bene ts academy

independence, including str ng leadership and eth s,less red tape and m re reed m t inn vate and raisestandards. Tey praise the p sitive c ntributi n sp ns rs t g vernance, c mmunity engagement and tsetting ambiti us g als. Tey highlight the relentless cus

academies n the quality teaching and learning, andthe devel pment a wider curriculum including sp rtand the arts seeking t nurture the ull range talents each individual pupil t the ull, just as private sch ls d .

In describing their w rk and missi n in all these areas,they dem nstrate c nclusively why the state sh uld beinvesting in academies where capital unding g es tsupp rt trans rmati n pr jects with str ng independentleadership and g vernance capable bringing ab utsustainable change, rather than simply putting the samem ney int new sch l buildings with ut the ther crucial

elements essential t the creati n a rst class sch l. Inacademies, investment and re rm g hand-in-hand, the

ne rein rcing the ther.Te sp ns r is central t the success each academy.

Sp ns rs d n t just c n er benign assistance and additi nalres urces. Tey are the lynchpin the g vernance eachacademy, in place the l cal auth rity and its n minated

( en p litical) g vern rs in a c nventi nal state sch l.Sp ns rs and their n minated g vern rs are resp nsibler the app intment (and i necessary rem val) the

principal, and r setting the expectati ns and eth s within


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which the entire academy c mmunity w rks. Te excellentacademy principals writing in this b k w uld n t be therei they had n t been app inted and in s me cases actively head-hunted by their sp ns rs.

Te emergence o academy chains

An ther crucial r le sp ns rs lies in the devel pment academy chains. Tere are n w m re than 40 multi-

academy sp ns rs, including the Harris Federati n, ARK,the United Learning rust, the Haberdashers Livery C mpany, T mas el rd with the Mercers Livery C mpany, and the Emmanuel Sch ls F undati n.

S me multi-sp ns rs are devel ping m re than tenacademies and their chains n w acc unt r m re thanhal all pen academies. Academy chains m stly have chie executives selected by the sp ns rs r m theirm st success ul existing sch l principals (such as DanM ynihan wh writes later), wh seek t replicate theirsuccess ul template acr ss each new academy j ining thechain. Tey en app int principals t their new academies

r m within their existing amily sch ls, identi yingthe m st pr mising leaders wh are specially trained t

take up headships elsewhere within their gr ups.Academy chains able t leverage excellent leadership,

eth s, branding and curriculum acr ss m re than neacademy and t d s rapidly are guarant rs quality,accelerating the expansi n academies, because theease and reliability with which the chains are able t take

n new pr jects. L cal auth rities n w en seek t

c mmissi n a particular academy chain t sp ns r ne their academies, r m their experience r kn wledge what that chain has t er.

Be re academies there were n sch l chains within


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the English state sch l sect r. Tis is ne respect in whichacademies are at the cutting edge educati nal inn vati n.Tere are many m re. Academy sp ns rs and principalsare determined t d whatever it takes t succeed in many

the t ughest c mmunities in the c untry. Tey have aclarity visi n and purp se t cus n what is likely tmake a di erence; their credibility in arguing r change isgenerally unimpeachable; and they d n t readily take n

r an answer.Te ll wing chapters highlight particularly w rthwhile

inn vati ns. Martyn C les n tes that academies have muchsmaller and m re expert g verning b dies than m st statesch ls. His academy in S uthwark, sp ns red by the City

L nd n, has just 15 g vern rs, which is a larger numberthan r m st academies but smaller than virtually any statesec ndary sch l. Fr m his previ us experience statesch ls, he regards the change as wh lly p sitive. We ing vernment are n w refecting n whether we sh uld beseeking t reduce the size state sch l g verning b diesand make ther changes t impr ve their e ectiveness, asin academies.

Curriculum inn vati n has been equally p sitive.

Academies are n t required t ll w the nati nalcurriculum, bey nd the c re subjects English, maths,science and IC . Michael Wilshaw at M ssb urnedescribes h w he has pi neered intensive literacy andnumeracy pr grammes r 11-year- lds wh arrive at theacademy bel w standard. Tis is assisted by a separateYear 7 building, ne six small sch l learning areas

within the academy, which als enables children t makethe transiti n r m primary t sec ndary sch l m ree ectively. Curriculum di erentiati n r pupils seri usly behind their peers at the start sec ndary sch l is ne


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the m st imp rtant issues in sec ndary educati n, and theM ssb urne practice which yields spectacular results interms achievement by pupils all backgr unds is ripe

r emulati n.S me sp ns rs and principals are g ing urther and

eliminating the primary/sec ndary divide entirely by devel ping all-thr ugh academies r m the age three r

ve t 18. Richard Gilliland, wh se Pri ry LSS trust inLinc ln is pi neering an all-thr ugh academy in an area

very l w educati nal attainment, believes this c uldbe a win, win situati n r every ne. He argues it willenable primary sch l children t have the bene t sec ndary sch l expertise in specialist subjects such astechn l gy, science and sp rt while the primary elementbrings t the sec ndary level an envir nment whichmakes y ung pe ple eel m re c m rtable. As he n tes,there is (surprisingly) little evidence r r against all-thr ugh sch ls in English state educati n, alth ugh they are p pular in the private sect r. H wever, acts aith dn t need t be blind; they can be based n c mm n sense.I will be studying this particular act aith care ully r itsp ssible wider applicati n.

Philip oHear is equally c mpelling ab ut the success Capital City Academys devel pment sp rting excellenceat the highest level; and Mark Grundy Shireland Academy is a pi neer, al ngside the T mas el rd Sch l, excellence in nline learning. Tese are tw ther areas

academy experience imp rtant t nati nal educati np licy.

Breaking an historic divideAcademies are als bridging the damaging hist ric dividebetween state and private sch ls in radical ways. Te very


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existence academies, as independent state sch ls whichsit sel -c n dently between the existing state and privatesect rs, d es this t a c nsiderable extent. As I p inted

ut last year t the Headmasters and HeadmistressesC n erence (HMC), which represents leading independentsch ls, academies will s n be educating as many pupilsas the entire HMC, all them in independent sch ls n tcharging ees. Bey nd this, m re than 20 private sch lsare n w either sp ns ring r partnering academies, and

ur high per rming private day sch ls in Liverp l,Manchester and Brist l are themselves bec mingacademies, making their excellent educati n available nan all-ability basis with ut ees, in areas that badly needm re g d sch ls and beac ns excellence.

Academies are injecting the best the DNA private sch ls int the state unded sect r, and theengagement private sch ls is a key bjective thepr gramme. Anth ny Seld n, Master Wellingt nC llege, describes h w the Wellingt n Academy nSalisbury Plain will replicate the best Wellingt nC llege, with ut the ees barrier. In particular, theacademy will devel p a centre excellence in the educati n

children r m military amilies, a missi n whichWellingt n Academy has in c mm n with Wellingt nC llege. As part this, the academy will have tw b ardingh uses, devel ped by b arding sta at the C llege. As abene ciary mysel an assisted b arding educati n, I amkeen t see i b arding educati n c uld play a larger r le inacademies, t bene t vulnerable children and th se r m

highly m bile amilies.Each new wave academies brings a richer tapestry sp ns rs. one critical new s urce sp ns rs is

universities, pi neering intensive engagement between


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higher educati n and sec ndary sch ls. Tis is an theracademy inn vati n r wider applicati n. M re than 30universities are n w engaged in academies; many m reare in the ng. I w uld welc me engagement by every university in an academy pr ject. Tere is n better way runiversities, which are n rmally the str ngest educati nalinstituti ns in their wn area, t widen participati nand assist in the educati nal regenerati n their l calc mmunities.

S I agree: academies are the uture sec ndary educati n, and it w rks. But it w rks nly i academiesc ntinue t be independent state sch ls with high quality,c mmitted sp ns rs and principals wh have the ullmeasure c ntr l and resp nsibility necessary t run asuccess ul sch l. With the c rnerst ne independencesecure, any number academies c uld be established,trans rming educati n nati nwide.

Lord Adonis is Minister or Schools. He was ony Blairseducation adviser, and later Head o the Number 10Policy Unit, rom 1998 to 2005. A ormer Fellow o Nu eld College, Ox ord, and journalist on the Financial

imes and Observer, his books include A class act: the mytho Britains classless society (1997).


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Te history o academiesConor Ryan

Te c nv cati n hall Church H use, Westminster playedh st t a remarkable recepti n in N vember 2007. Presentwere the rmer C nservative prime minister, MargaretTatcher and her late-eighties educati n secretary, Kenneth(n w L rd) Baker. represent the Lab ur g vernmentwas the juni r sch ls minister Andrew Ad nis. Te reas n

r this bipartisan gathering was t mark twenty years

City echn l gy C lleges (C Cs), independent n n-ee paying sch ls that ny Blairs Lab ur g vernmenturther devel ped int city academies, with Ad nis as their

tenaci us midwi e.A remarkable trans rmati n in educati n has taken

place ver the last tw decades. A system d minated by l cal educati n auth rities has bec me ne where head

teachers enj y ar greater nancial fexibility thr ughl cal management sch ls. At the same time, a nati nalcurriculum has been intr duced, al ng with nati naltesting, per rmance tables, targets and regular inspecti n.Tese changes were embraced by Lab ur under ny Blair. M re imp rtantly, a er the g vernment madeextra res urces available r m 1999, these re rms werematched by a level investment unseen since the p st-war rec nstructi n.

Sir Cyril ayl r, wh chaired the C C rust 1 r m1987-2007, recalls that Tatcher rst m ted C Cs with


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business pe ple in 1986 when it was agreed that weneeded a new type sec ndary sch l, independent l cal auth rity c ntr l, but c mprehensive and servingthe needs the inner city.2 Te new sch ls w uld havea str ng techn l gy bias and w uld be sp ns red by business. Tey w uld have a l nger sch l day and, despitetheir inn vative eel, a m re traditi nalist eth s. Baker saidthey w uld be unashamedly di erent. 3

From con rontation to consensus

Te C Cs c mbinati n business sp ns rship andindependence r m l cal educati n auth rities causedc ntr versy in the educati n w rld. And their intr ducti nc incided with the devel pment grant-maintainedsch ls, a p licy that initially had ar greater impact.4 But itwas the demand that their c nstructi n w uld be entirely

unded by business sp ns rs that was t be their Achillesheel. By 1994, just een C Cs had been established,hal the thirty riginally anticipated, and the p licy wase ectively aband ned in av ur the less c stly techn l gy c lleges r specialist sch ls. Instead having t nd inexcess 10 milli n sp ns rship, the techn l gy c lleges

had t nd just 100,000, which w uld be matched by g vernment. 5 Tey w uld then receive additi nal revenuet pay r extra specialist teaching.

In 1995, David Blunkett signalled the Lab ur partyssupp rt r specialist sch ls.6 In g vernment, the number

specialist sch ls expanded r m 181 in 1997 t 685by 2001.7 day, ar und 90 per cent Englands 3,200

sec ndary sch ls have at least ne twelve specialisms.Be re the 1997 electi n, there was a belie that theLab ur party sh uld cus n standards n t structures,with Blunkett cusing in particular n the teaching the


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3Rs in primary sch ls. But as he and Blair s ught urbaneducati n re rm, they revisited the idea independentn n- ee paying sch ls. As Blairs educati n adviser,Ad nis visited many C Cs and was impressed by theirresults. one C C T mas el rd in Shr pshire hadacquired the reputati n as the best c mprehensive in thec untry. 8 What Ad nis als disc vered was an energy and dynamism which was t en absent in ther l calsch ls, particularly in deprived areas. It is w rth recallingthat, by 1997, barely hal all state sec ndary sch ls hadm re than 30 per cent their pupils achieving ve g dGCSEs including English and maths. Ad nis has recently described the rigins academies and the rati nale behindthe new pr gramme:

Academies f wed partly r m a rank assessment the number inadequate sec ndary sch ls

being run n traditi nal lines, particularly inL nd n and ur ther cities; partly r m ananalysis the unambigu us success the 15City echn l gy C lleges run n independentlines with business and v luntary sect r sp ns rs;partly r m c nversati ns with these sp ns rs and

ther excellent p tential sch l pr m ters keen

t be given the pp rtunity t make a di erence;and partly r m internati nal evidence n tleast r m Sweden with its pr gressive s ciety and p litical culture that an independent statesch l m del c uld harness new levels parentalengagement and supp rt, and new energy anddynamism in the leadership and management sch ls.9

S , academies were n t simply C Cs Mark 2. Indeed,Blunkett was keen t r t the pr gramme in an appr acht diversity that he had been devel ping since 1995. 10


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Te city academies were t be part a widerpr gramme t extend diversity within the state sect r andraise standards where existing pr visi n is inadequate.Tey were t er a real change and impr vement inpupil per rmance, r example by inn vative appr achest management, g vernance, teaching and learning r m

ther l cal sch ls, including a specialist cus in at leastne curriculum area. Academies w uld replace sch ls

which were either in special measures r underachieving.And they w uld have the reed m t vary the sch l day

r year i they wished and t design new appr aches tsta ng.

Blunkett made his ann uncement in a S cial MarketF undati n lecture in which he als pr p sed newF undati n and V luntary-Aided Sch ls, s me sp ns redby the Church England; m re existing private sch ls j ining the state sect r; and alternative pr viders r m the v luntary, religi us r business sect rs taking ver weak sch ls r replacing them with city academies. All these

bjectives w uld be delivered ver the next eight years.Private sch ls like Belvedere in Liverp l and Brist l

Cathedral Sch l aband ned selecti n and ees t bec me

academies. Signi cant private sch l sp ns rs supp rtedacademies t , with leading gures like Anth ny Seld n, Master Wellingt n C llege, arguing that suchsp ns rship was an imp rtant part the missi n privatesch ls. Te Church England als became a str ngsupp rter, with s me academies enj ying j int Anglicanand Cath lic sp ns rship. 11 But while the academies had

their rigins in C Cs, they w uld di er in crucial respects.F r a start, the sp ns rs w uld pay nly 2 milli n r 10per cent the capital c sts, whichever was smaller. Teg vernment c uld c ntribute the rest r m its huge sch l


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capital expenditure pr gramme which supp rted thebuilding 1,100 new sch ls between 1997 and 2007.12 Tis investment was crucial in verc ming l cal auth rity resistance: ministers c uld expect new academies as part an investment and re rm package. Equally imp rtant werethe unding agreements with the educati n department,which pr vided guarantees n c ntenti us issues likeadmissi ns p licies, while keeping l cal auth rities ut their day-t -day management.

ackling the teething problems

Having secured the necessary legislati n in the 2000Learning and Skills Act, Blunkett ann unced that the rstacademies w uld be in Brent, Lambeth and Liverp l. But itwas n t all plain sailing: teaching uni ns were h stile, withJ hn Dun rd, leader the Sec ndary Heads Ass ciati n,calling them cuck s in the nest that might damage

ther l cal sch ls thr ugh greater c mpetiti n.13 TeNati nal Uni n eachers allied itsel with the S cialistW rkers Party in the Anti-Academies Alliance t pp sel cal academy pr p sals, s metimes g ing t c urt t try and halt the pening the new sch ls. A v cal min rity

Lab ur and Liberal Dem crat MPs criticised the greaterreed ms n admissi ns and exclusi ns p licies.

In act, academies tend t have a m re c mprehensiveintake than ther sch ls, but because they are ull ratherthan under subscribed, the pr p rti n l wer inc mechildren can be smaller than in their predecess r sch lsas they attract a wider s cial mix. Academies have twice

the nati nal average pr p rti n children in receipt ree sch l meals. Tey d have the same right as specialistsch ls t reserve a tenth their places r pupils with anaptitude in their specialism. S me academies that inherited


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a disruptive c h rt pupils used initial exclusi ns tset a standard r uture behavi ur. But this tended tbe a temp rary expedient rather than a eature theirappr ach. Pricewaterh useC pers, in their 2007 rep rt nacademies n ted that: C mpared t the nati nal averageand ther sch ls in similar circumstances, academieshave signi cantly higher pr p rti ns pupils wh areeligible r Free Sch l Meals (FSM); have English as anAdditi nal Language (EAL); and have Special Educati nalNeeds (SEN).14

M re ver, an allegedly creati nist curriculum at neacademy drew secular ire, alth ugh the sch l taught thenati nal curriculum in science. Tere were claims un air

unding. In act, academies are unded in revenue termsn the same basis as c mparable maintained sch ls. But

the capital c sts s me the early academies l catedas they were n expensive inner city land en with a bigclean-up j b required be re building c uld begin werehigher than the n rm, ccasi nally t pping 30 milli n.S me the extra c st refected imaginative designs by leading architects, r the lack ec n mies scale as eachacademy had its wn c nstructi n pr gramme. Tese c sts

have been reduced as the pr gramme is n w managed nthe same basis as ther sec ndary sch l c nstructi n.

While such criticism was t be expected, the early academies were n t with ut their wn teething pr blems:

ne the rst, Unity City Academy in Middlesbr ugh, wasplaced in special measures by o sted. Its per rmance hassince impr ved.15 As the academies were en replacing

s me the m st challenging sch ls in the c untry, andtaking their pupils with them, their results inevitably t k time t impr ve, which le s me initially t wards theb tt m the sch l league tables.


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But academies were given the chance t pr vethemselves, n t least because their c st and theirp litical imp rtance. Te 2005 Lab ur mani est pr misedthat 200 academies w uld be pen r in the pipelineby 2010. Blair secured agreement r m G rd n Br wnbe re he stepped d wn in 2007 that at least 400 w uld

pen thr ugh the sch l capital pr gramme. Indeed,despite initial scepticism, a visit t M ssb urne Academy in Hackney sh rtly be re Br wn became prime ministerhelped persuade him that academies sh uld play a centralpart in his educati n p licies. Far r m the ailing sch lshunned by l cal parents a decade be re, M ssb urne hadbec me an utstanding sch l six times ver subscribed.Indeed, acr ss Hackney, the c uncil and its arms-lengthLearning rust is n w replacing m st the b r ughssec ndary sch ls with academies. By 2007, auth ritieslike Birmingham, Manchester and She eld were puttingacademies at the heart their educati nal plans.

Cross-party support

Academies enj y gr wing pp siti n supp rt. Giventheir similarities with C Cs, it is hardly surprising that

the C nservatives put academies at the heart theirsch ls p licy, and regularly qu te their achievements t justi y their wn p licies. Teir sch ls p licy envisagesnew academies which w uld c ntinue t be the subject

unding agreements with the Secretary State, butwith ut any c nstraints n the curriculum. But shad weducati n secretary Michael G ve is als keen t highlight

their reed m r m l cal auth rities: alking t the head teachers wh have presided

ver such dramatic impr vements and suchsuperb results in these sch ls.... ne thing


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res nates as they explain their success. Tey wereable t trans rm their sch ls because they wereliberated r m the bureaucracy.16

Similarly, Nick Clegg, as leader the Liberal Dem crats,has been m re pen t an academy m del educati n,alth ugh he calls them Free Sch ls a er the Swedishm del. He has said:

Tere is n thing wr ng at all with all wingsch ls the reed m t inn vate. N thing wr ngwith bringing c mmitted pe ple and rganisati nsint ur educati n system. And n thing wr ngwith all wing sch ls t exist utside direct daily l cal g vernment management as l ng as they are under l cal g vernment versight. 17

Clearly there is a di erence in emphasis between theparties. Lab ur has s ught t mainstream academies,engaging rather than c n r nting l cal auth rities asthe pr gramme expanded. Te C nservatives, havingaband ned a c mmitment t new grammar sch ls, areanxi us t talk up di erences with Lab ur and be seen tc n r nt l cal auth rities. Te Liberal Dem crats have stillt rec ncile their new leaders appr ach with the traditi nal

h stility their activists and c uncill rs.H wever, it is n table that Liberal Dem crat c ntr lled

Richm nd C uncil decided in March 2008 t replacethree its sch ls with a new academy managed by Kunskapssk lan, a leading Swedish sch l pr vider.M re ver, n ne the parties envisages academy pr vidersmaking a pr t r m the running sch ls, alth ugh new

g vernment plans r disruptive pupils may inv lve unitsrun by r-pr t pr viders.18 Meanwhile the C nservativeshave trumpeted their enthusiasm r inv lving privatepr viders wh put any pr ts back int the sch l.19


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Success breeds success and supportAcademies are n w part the educati nal landscape.Tere are 83 pen t day, with 50 pening in September2008, 80 in 2009 and 100 in 2010.20 organisati ns like theUnited Learning rust, Abs lute Return r Kids (ARK)and the Harris rust are creating chains academies.

M re imp rtantly, academies are making a big di erence.

Acr ss the 36 academies that rec rded GSCE results inb th 2006 and 2007 (20 excluding C C c nversi ns), thepr p rti n pupils gaining ve g d GSCEs impr vedby an average 6.1 percentage p ints, r 3.6 percentagep ints when English and maths results are included. Tenati nal increases r maintained sch ls were 1.9 and 1.4percentage p ints respectively. M re ver, the percentage

pupils achieving ve g d GCSEs in the 36 academies hasalm st d ubled since 2001.21 And i , as usually happens,results at Key Stage 3 (age 14), which sh w a 22 percentagep int impr vement in English between 2001 and 2007,

eed thr ugh int results tw years later, impr vements inGCSE English and maths are likely t be even str nger in

uture.22 Parents, t , see academies as a g d thing, with three

applicati ns r every academy place, and s me L nd nacademies c nsiderably m re versubscribed. 23 Andindependent rep rts paint an increasingly p sitive picture.Te chie inspect r has n ted that: Inspecti ns academiesare beginning t c n rm a rising trend in e ectiveness;there are examples str ng and e ective leadershiphaving a p sitive, and s metimes trans rmati nal,impact n pupils pr gress and achievement, en r m al w base.24 Te Nati nal Audit o ce und that: M stacademies have made g d pr gress in impr ving GCSE


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results, and the pr gramme is n track t deliver g d value r m ney.25 And Pricewaterh useC pers hasc n rmed that: Pr gress in terms pupil achievementhas generally exceeded c rresp nding impr vementsat a nati nal level and am ngst ther similar sch ls. Itattributes this success t a c mbinati n independence,str ng leadership, sp ns r engagement, specialism andimpr ving behavi ur. 26 o c urse, there are still issuesin s me academies. In particular, GCSE results, whileimpr ving, still lag behind the nati nal average. But theevidence is that academies are n an upward trend.

Te pr gramme has als changed. Ed Balls, as Br wnssch ls secretary, has required academies t ll w thenati nal curriculum in c re subjects. L cal auth rities arec nsulted m re t help m mentum by reducing pp siti n;in s me cases, they are c -sp ns rs, th ugh with ut thep wers they w uld have ver maintained sch ls. B ththese changes have been p rtrayed as a weakening thepr gramme, but it has als arguably all wed it t acquirea aster pace.

Tere have als been unding changes. Since pr curementbecame part the g vernments Building Sch ls r the

Future pr gramme, new sp ns rs have been asked r anend wment rather than a capital c ntributi n. N nancialc ntributi n is n w required r m universities, urthereducati n c lleges r high achieving sch ls acting assp ns rs. Alth ugh Balls was criticised by the pp siti n

r these m ves s me which predated him they have n t greatly reduced academy independence. M re

signi cantly r the uture the pr gramme, Br wn madeclear that the pr gramme w uld be accelerated and has akey r le in the Nati nal Challenge t impr ve 638 l w-attaining sec ndary sch ls. By 2010, at least ne in ten


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sec ndary sch ls will be an academy, and the pr grammewill c ntinue n matter wh is in p wer. While s mepp siti n c ntinues, the rce academy pp nents is

diminished by p litical and physical reality.

Why academies make a di erence

Given that academies are here t stay, we sh uldunderstand h w and why they make a di erence. Despitethe changes and the c ntr versy, their success wes mucht a c mbinati n act rs seen internati nally as beingat the heart sch l impr vement. Academies share withAmerican charter sch ls (privately run public sch ls)their regulated independence: the DCSF ensures airadmissi ns, r example. Likewise, as with m st US statesp licies n charter sch ls, academies are run n a n t- rpr t basis. Tey each have a specialism, which has helpeddrive wh le sch l impr vement. But their leaders n t

nly have m re reed ms than ther state sch ls, they alsmake m re use it. Tey vary the sch l timetable, withl nger sch l days. Tey change their sta ng structuresand pay t suit their needs. Teir g verning b dies arem re strategic, and str ng sp ns rs d nt take n r an

answer. Tey are readier t inn vate with the curriculumr the sch l rganisati n. And while it is true that ther

state unded sch ls have ar m re curriculum and pay fexibility than they realise r are ready t use, academy heads and sta seem m re willing t use their unique

reed ms as well as th se available t all sch ls t a argreater extent because they eel they are trusted t d s .

In this b k, we hear r m academy pi neers: theprincipals s me the m st success ul academies.Teir st ries are s me the st ries academies. Teless ns they bring can als help us t understand where


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educati n re rm needs t g next, regardless whichparty is in p wer. F r any ne wh was inv lved in thedevel pment Lab urs educati n p licy r m 1994 andwh remembers the bitter battles the 1980s a visit tan academy is a salutary experience. F r behind the enic nic buildings, and the singular eth s the sta andpupils, ne can see the uture sec ndary educati n inacti n.

Conor Ryan is a writer and consultant. He was senior education adviser to ony Blair (2005-7) and David Blunkett (1994-2001). He is author and editor o several books on education issues including Excellence in education:the making of great schools (2004) and Staying the course (2008). He contributes regularly to national media including Te oday Programme on Radio 4, the Independent, the Guardian and Public Finance magazine. His blog is at www.conor ryan.blogspot.com.

Notes1 N w the Specialist Sch ls and Academies rust.2 City echn l gy C lleges: c ncepti n and legacy, Specialist Sch ls

and Academies rust, 2007.3 R Letwin, Te anat my Tatcherism, 1993.4 Ar und 1200 sch ls, including nearly 700 sec ndaries, had pted ut

by the time Lab ur came t p wer.5 Tis has since been reduced t 50,000 in sp ns rship.6 He did s in the Lab ur Party p licy statement Diversity and excellence,

1995.7 DFES Press Release 2001/0355, 9 oct ber 2001.8 Even t day, C C per rmance remains high. In 2007, they averaged 91

per cent ve g d GCSEs r 70 per cent when English and maths wereincluded. By c mparis n the c mprehensive sch l average was 60 per

cent ve g d GCSEs and 45 per cent including English and maths.9 A Ad nis, Speech t the Nati nal Academies C n erence, February

2008.10 DFEE Press N tice 2000/0106, 15 March 2000.


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11 one example is St Francis Assisi Academy in Liverp l.12 Cited in Better Buildings, Better Design, Better Educati n(DFES, 2007) available at www.teachernet.g v.uk/management/res urces nanceandbuilding/News/General.

13 BBC News, Academies warning by head teachers, 9 September, 2002.14 PriceWaterh useC pers, Academies evaluati n: 4th annual rep rt,

2007.15 BBC News. City academy ailing, says o sted, 27 May 2005; o sted,

Rep rt n Unity City Academy, Middlesbr ugh, 9 May 2007 .16 M G ve, Speech t CentreF rum. 25 March 2008 at www.c nservatives.

c m/tile.d ?de =news.st ry.page& bj_id=143223.17 N Clegg, Speech n public services, 14 January 2008 at http://news.bbc.

c .uk/1/hi/uk_p litics/7187852.stm.18 BBC News online, Private bids r behavi ur units, 20 May 2008.19 Daily elegraph, Camer n t let c mpanies run sch ls, 31 May 2008.20 DCSF, Pr m ting Excellence r All: Sch l Impr vement Strategy

raising standards, supp rting sch ls, 2008.21 DCSF Statistical Release SFR 34/2007, 18 oct ber 2007.22 C mpared with predecess r sch ls: www.standards.d es.g v.uk/

academies/what_are_academies/w rking/?versi n=123 Martyn C les rep rts 10 applicati ns r each place at his City

L nd n Academy, see his chapter G vernance and sta ng, page 25.24 o sted, Annual Rep rt Her Majestys Chie Inspect r Educati n,

Childrens Services and Skills, 2007.25 NAo, Te academies pr gramme, 2007.26 PriceWaterh useC pers, Academies evaluati n: 4th annual rep rt,

2007.


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mid 1990s, pass rates at the rebranded Harris C C hadimpr ved t 60 per cent; in recent years, pass rates havebeen typically ar und 90 per cent each year.

Te academy regularly receives 3,000 visit rs t its annualpen evening. In 2008 there were nearly 2,000 applicati ns

r 180 places and the sch l was recently judged t be utstanding by the sch ls inspect rate, o sted. Tisprevi usly unsuccess ul sch l has been trans rmedint ne the m st p pular state sch ls in England. Ithas been trans rmed because the driving rce ac mmitted private sect r sp ns r perating the sch l asan independent state sch l and n t- r-pr t charity.

Secrets o success at Harris Crystal Palace

At Harris Crystal Palace, the g verning b dy c mprisesa range pe ple representing the c mmunity as wellas business pe ple wh bring a sharper acc untability than might n rmally be the case in the state sect r. Akey di erence with ther sch ls is that sp ns rs are n tc nstrained by thinking inside the standard educati nalb x. F r the sp ns r, there are never pr blems r excusesthat prevent things r m happening, just situati ns which

need s luti ns. It is this abs lute expectati n successwhich makes the di erence.

My experience g verning b dy meetings in l calauth rity sch ls is that an in rdinate am unt time istaken up with bureaucracy. Te independence academies

r m the bureaucratic culture l cal auth rities meansthat sta and g vern rs can cus n what really c unts

standards achievement.1

F r example, a key act rbehind the success Harris Crystal Palace was early ad pti n a data rich culture inv lving the setting

individual and class targets r students and care ul


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measuring and rep rting per rmance t students andparents, s mething nly n w bec ming m re c mm n inther state sch ls. Tis appr ach was driven by sp ns r

g vern rs desire r acc untability and clear in rmati nn the per rmance the sch l.

Sponsoring multiple academies can replicate success

Te fip side ur rst sch ls success has been that eachyear ver a th usand amilies ail t secure a place and aredisapp inted. our initial aim was t try t verc me thispr blem by helping ther sch ls t impr ve by w rkingc llab ratively with them. Un rtunately, we und that rthis appr ach t be success ul, it required sta in partnersch ls t supp rt the need r change and p ssess theability t make things happen. Tis was n t always the case;and c llab rati n en d es n t w rk quickly en ugh.

When a sch l needs rapid impr vement, we have undthat the quickest way t bring this ab ut and rem ve barrierst change is t verwrite the entrenched relati nships,pr cedures and expectati ns the predecess r sch l, allin ne g , by re-creating the sch l as a c mpletely newacademy. Academy c nversi n is a p wer ul means t

reb t r restart a sch l t ward rapid impr vement.In resp nse t parental demand, L rd Harris visi n was

t create a hard ederati n ( r single legal charitable entity) seven Harris academies with plans t expand t twelve

academies acr ss s uth L nd n. All the academies are l catedin areas s cial deprivati n; all except Harris C C havehist rically l w results. gether, the academies educate 8,000

pupils, with an annual budget 50 milli n and 800 sta .L rd Harris is establishing a p pular Harris brand in S uthL nd n thr ugh academy c nversi n. Whilst such brandingis c mm n in business, it is highly unusual in educati n.


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Te structure ur ederati n is sh wn in gure 1.L rd Harris chairs the main B ard which meets termly; itc mprises the chairs g vern rs individual academiesand s me n n-executive direct rs. Te B ard carries thelegal resp nsibility g vern rs and makes verarchingstrategic decisi ns as well as setting central p licies. Eachacademy still has a l cal g verning b dy, pr viding a mix

central and l cal directi n. Tere is a small centralederati n ce with a Chie Executive o cer, Direct r

Finance and Direct r IC .2 In January 2006, the Harris Federati n agreed t

undertake an accelerated c nversi n amw rth Man rHigh Sch l, Mert n t academy status, with the academy

pening in the ll wing September. A er just ne year,headline GCSE results impr ved by ten percentage p ints. Arecent o sted m nit ring rep rt n ted many impr vementsa er nly ur terms and judged that the academy had an

utstanding capacity r urther impr vement.Tis rapid impr vement was achieved by app inting a

vice principal r m Harris C C as the principal the newacademy. All the Harris C C p licies and pr cedureswere imp rted t the new academy and have since been

devel ped and tweaked where appr priate t t l calcircumstances. We trans erred ur h use system whereassistant principals lead h uses with gr ups subject sta resp nsible r b th the academic and past ral wel are students, rem ving the previ us r les heads year. Weals trans erred an inn vative 14-19 v cati nal curriculum,a tried and tested c mputerised system r tracking and

m nit ring individual students and behavi r managementsystems. b st p st-16 achievement, we created a j intsixth rm between three academies, imp rting establishedsystems all in ne g . We als perate j int sta training days


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F i g u r e 1 :

H a r r i s

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M a i n

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H a r r i s

P e c k

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H a r r i s G i r l s

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H a r r i s

C r y s t a l P a l a c e

H a r r i s

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h

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H a r r i s

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H a r r i s B y s

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2 0 0 6

2 0 0 3

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P R E D E C E S S o R S C H o o L S

A Y L W I N

G I R L S

W A R W I C K

P A R K

W A V E R L E Y

G I R L S

H A R R I S

C T C

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T E C H N I C A L

T A M W o R T H

M A N o R

W E S T W o o D

C o L L E G E


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Te sharing expertise and best practice, r examplethe best w rk schemes and less n plans am ng subjectleaders.An enhanced extracurricular pr gramme.M re ch ice thr ugh a j int p st-16 er.Te pr visi n supp rt when needed, r example

r m the CEo and ther principals.Reduced exclusi ns thr ugh 'managed m ves'.Greater pp rtunities r sta pr m ti n acr ssthe ederati n, including w rking in m re than neacademy.J int training and pr essi nal devel pment acr ss theacademies.

Tere are numer us perati nal bene ts t be had r msch ls w rking t gether under ne sp ns r including:

Ec n mies scale thr ugh central purchasing andimpr ved human res urces, site maintenance and legalsupp rt acr ss the ederati n.A single, high quality IC netw rk and centralmanagement in rmati n systems.Central nancial management.

Why should private sponsorship make a di erence?

raditi nally, the l cal auth rity replaces the head teacher a ailing sch l. Critics academies ask why this isnt

en ugh, and why a sp ns r is needed in additi n. C nsiderthe sch l culture in ailing sch ls. Te w rst sch lsare placed in special measures by inspect rs. otherunsatis act ry but n t ailing sch ls are given a N tice tImpr ve. C unter-intuitively, research sh ws that sch lsin special measures impr ve m re rapidly than th se givena lesser n tice t impr ve.3

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Why this sh uld be tells us s mething imp rtantab ut sch l culture. Sch ls in di culty en p ssessa str ngly uni nised sta and perate with a culture gr up think. Resistance t change is en s str ng that anew head teacher al ne cann t easily verc me the range

reacti nary rces in the sch l.4 When a sch l is placed in special measures, everyb dy

is given n tice that things need t change. A sh ck t thesystem is pr vided. Tis gives a head teacher su cientm mentum t intr duce new ways d ing things. Butwhen sch ls are given a n tice t impr ve, they tend n tt make such rapid pr gress even th ugh they are m resuccess ul than th se in special measures. Te main reas nseems t be that they lack the galvanising impact a newbeginning and raised expectati ns. Academy c nversi nsupp rted by a private sp ns r has the same impact n asch ls culture in terms pr viding a sh ck t the systemand a realisati n by all stakeh lders that things mustchange. Sp ns rs bring h pe, new p ssibilities, new ways

d ing things and the expectati n that impr vementmust happen. Being backed by a sp ns r can als raise thesel -esteem a sch l and its c mmunity.

Appointing good governors

our g verning b dies have a maj rity sp ns r g vern rs,t gether with parent and sta g vern rs. Sp ns r g vern rsmay be business pe ple, c mmunity representatives r

ther g vern rs with use ul skills. In every case when asch l bec mes an academy, the g verning b dy is created

c mpletely a resh. Business sp ns rs are s metimescriticised r having n pers nal experience runningsch ls. H wever, m st l cal auth rity sch l g vern rshave n pers nal experience educati n either ( ther


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than as a student). But sp ns r g vern rs als have theadvantage being highly success ul pe ple in their wnright with the can-d appr ach t li e which pers nalsuccess brings. L rd Harris attitude, and that the thersp ns r g vern rs, is that it is p ssible t create successin any situati n and that there are n insurm untablepr blems. Tis creates a culture high expectati ns which

eeds thr ugh int every c rner the sch l.

We are accountable

Academy pp nents then claim that l cal pe ple will l setheir ability t h ld their l cal sch l t acc unt. Tey ign re the act that the predecess r sch ls are usually academically unsuccess ul and unp pular, which suggeststhat l cal acc untability didnt w rk r them. In theend, the m st use ul and meaning ul acc untability is tnati nal b dies like o sted.

As a leader in a variety state sec ndary sch ls, Ihave und that l cal acc untability usually means therepresentati n l cal c uncill rs n the g verning b dy;yet they may have n particular interest in educati n andmay use the g verning b dy t play ut l cal party p litics.

And a l cal elect rate rarely turns its ire n l cal p liticianswhen a sch l ails. All t en, the structures r l calacc untability have n impact n per rmance and all wsch ls t c ntinue t ail. Te real ch ice r ailing rweak sch ls is between an illusi n l cal acc untability and the persistence ailure, r the intr ducti n aprivate sect r sp ns r and success. M re ver, private

sect r sp ns rs are ully acc untable t o sted and theDepartment r Children, Sch ls and Families (DCSF).Indeed, academies are inspected m re regularly thanm st ther sch ls in their rst ew years. Furtherm re,


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the DCSF ensures that Sch l Impr vement Partnersapp inted by them visit each term and rep rt back.Academy pp nents claim that sp ns rs may wish t

intervene in the curriculum and pr m te their wn belie sand p litical views. Te experience the Harris Federati nis that ther than asking that enterprise be ne theacademy specialisms, ur sp ns r leaves the curriculumentirely t the educati nal pr essi nals. M re ver, l calc uncill rs may be just as likely t inter ere. Inter erencein the curriculum sh uld be guarded against in all sch ls.With academies, the DCSF can f d any g verningb dy with its wn g vern rs sh uld the sp ns r attemptt inter ere in an inappr priate manner. Tis has neverhappened but remains an imp rtant sa eguard.

Tree the ur Harris academies with publishedexaminati n results are in the t p 500 nati nally rpupil pr gress.5 Te urth sch l pened in 2006 and itsresults impr ved by 11 per cent a er just ne year. Tisper rmance, c upled with their huge p pularity, pr videsclear evidence the educati nal trans rmati n that urprivate sect r sp ns rship is engendering.

Dan Moynihan is Chie Executive O cer o the HarrisFederation o South London Schools, with responsibility or the establishment o new Harris academies and dayto day operation o the ederation o seven Harris schools.He was previously head teacher o two success ul Londonschools both judged to be outstanding by O sted; HarrisCity Academy Crystal Palace and Valentines High School inIl ord. He is an accredited inspector and school improvement partner. He is also the author o various school economicsand business textbooks or Ox ord University Press.


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Notes1 F r m re n this issue, see the chapter by Martyn C les.2 In rmati n and C mmunicati n echn l gies.3 P Samm ns and P Matthews, Survival the weakest: the di erential

impr vement sch ls causing c ncern in England, L nd n Review Educati n, V l.3 , July 2005.

4 D M ynihan, Headteachers can and d make a di erence in Teleadership e ect, P licy Exchange, 2007.

5 Data driven sch l trans rmati n, SSA , 2008.


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Governance and stafng Martyn ColesBrisk and intelligent g vernance is essential t gettinga new sch l pen, t ensuring a sm th m ve t newpremises and t expanding success ully r m ne year tthe next. Te sp ns r c ntr ls academy g vernance andthe reed m the sp ns r t decide the c nstituency the b ard g vern rs is designed t pr m te e ciency and speedy decisi n making.

Te size the g verning b dy varies, but m st ll wDepartment r Children Sch ls and Families (DCSF)guidance and all are transparent in their perati n.Academy g verning b dies generally range between sixand sixteen g vern rs and their p wers are enshrined inthe individual unding agreements drawn up between theindividual academy and the g vernment.

Governance and the City o London Academy Southwark

Te City L nd n Academy (CoLA) was a new sch l

that pened in temp rary acc mm dati n in September2003 and m ved int new buildings in 2005. I wasapp inted Principal in 2002 and started w rk in April 2003.Te academy is n w ve years ld and students t k GCSEexaminati ns r the rst time in summer 2008. Te sch lwill have 1,200 students by September 2009, including 900students aged 11-16 and 300 in the sixth rm. Te academy

has met a seri us need r g d educati n in Berm ndsey in S uth L nd n. date, it has been a success in thisendeav ur, being ten times versubscribed r 180 placeseach year since it pened.


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We are sp ns red by the City L nd n C rp rati nand ur g verning b dy has een g vern rs, in thell wing categ ries:

F ur C rp rati n C mm n C uncill rs the City L nd n.F ur n minated representative g vern rs r m City businesses/instituti ns.

w parents ( ne r m the City and ne r mS uthwark).

w members sta ( ne teaching and ne supp rt).one l cal auth rity representative.one DCSF representative.Te principal.

I was a l cal auth rity head teacher an east L nd nc mmunity sch l r eight years. Tat sch l had amuch larger (and m re cumbers me) g verning b dy.Meetings were l nger and attendance m re sp radic. S meg vern rs were l cal p liticians sitting n a number g verning b dies in additi n t their c uncil duties. It wasn t surprising that there were en ccasi ns when they had n t read the papers be re arriving at the meeting: this

meant that a l t time was spent n matters arising.Acc rdingly, I have und ur academy g verning b dy t be a remarkable impr vement. Business is c nducted at ag d pace and the meeting is well chaired. But tw eaturesstand ut as being really crucial t its success: e ciency and planning. Te CoLA g verning b dy has tw sub-c mmittees, nance and premises and curriculum andc mmunity. Tese c mmittees deal with all the maing vern r business, including the annual budget, buildingplans, the devel pment plan, and the sch ls w rk withregenerati n, business and l cal primary sch ls. Te tw

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sub-c mmittees then agree a decisi n t rec mmend tthe g verning b dy.While this is a c mm n eature all sch ls, the

di erence with academies is that th se c mmitteesare m re likely t have a chair and members wh aregenuinely interested in e ecting sustainable change andmaking a di erence. Te main g verning b dy meetingtakes an verview pr gress, and discussi n can be widerand m re detailed than is usual in many sch ls. F r theprincipal, this pr cess can be m re demanding, yet alsm re valuable since the g verning b dy is cl sely inv lvedin p licy and sel evaluati n is clearly at the heart thesch l. Te main g verning b dy meeting then ad pts ramends the rec mmendati ns r m the c mmittees.

An ther di erence lies in the way the g vern rs dbusiness. I a sub-c mmittee member has a query ab utan issue currently under discussi n, that g vern r willteleph ne me t get s me clarity n the issue: they w uldregard it as waste ul t ask r such clari cati n in theg verning b dys main meeting.

Tis all makes r brisk and purp se ul meetings. NCoLA g verning b dy meeting has ever lasted m re than

ne h ur and rty minutes. Members read papers, getclari cati n be re the meeting and c nduct the businesswith e cient attentiveness. Many have very infuential j bsin the City, yet give their time reely t the sch l; and theirway w rking has infuenced the g vernance. Te DCSFw uld d well t l k at pr viding such fexibility r allsch ls, b th primary and sec ndary.

Stafng and Conditions o ServiceAcademies have greater fexibility than many ther sch lsin sta ng matters. Tey d n t have t rec gnise trade


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uni ns, d n t have t ll w nati nal pay and c nditi nslegislati n and, n a slightly less central p int t thischapter, until recently did n t have t ll w the nati nalcurriculum. Much the reed m is all wed in the name

fexibility. While many these reed ms are n t usedby all academies, we d have the reed m t choose. Many academies have their wn pay structure with b nuses rg d per rmance, m st teach a l nger sch l week, s mehave sh rter h lidays, all have a very r bust per rmancemanagement system with sh rter t lerance r inadequateteaching.

on the ther hand, the ad pti n m re standardpr cedures prevails i that is the appr priate c urse. Many academies ll w c mm n practice in sta ng and pay pr cedures, exercising g d c mm n sense with regard ttheir sta and ab ve all, the learning that the students canget. Te key p int is that the g vern rs and seni r team canch se. S , CoLA rec gnises trade uni ns, pays teachers

n the nati nal pay scales and c re sta n the City L nd n C rp rati n pay scales, ll ws the Burgundy B k c nditi ns service r teaching sta and has thesame h lidays as l cal auth rity sch ls. We believe that

t d therwise w uld create m re w rk r little bene t.Again, the essential di erence r the g vern rs andprincipal the academy is that we have the choice.

Stafng innovations

Where we have used ur fexibility t great e ect is indesigning a new sta ng structure, an inn vative appr ach

ully backed by ur g vern rs. Te prime bjective any sch l is t ensure that the students learn as e ectively asp ssible; understanding their academic subjects and thew rld that surr unds them. Teir uture success is the


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sch ls success, the standard by which the teachers skillsare measured.But there can be t many distracti ns, preventing the

teachers r m maximising their c ntributi n t childrenslearning. I was very c ncerned, a er tw years, that theteachers were n t spending en ugh time teaching thechildren. S me were being taken away r m the classr mby j bs that were imp rtant but did n t necessarily needteachers t carry them ut, particularly n past ral duties.Whatever their natural gi s, teachers are n t trained in thesupp rt and guidance skills needed t d a past ral j bwell.

We elt a di erent appr ach w uld bene t teachers andpupils alike. We recruited ve past ral managers, wh mwe later renamed heads year. our rst ur recruitswere ex-p lice cers, and ur h was a rmer y uthw rker. Tey had the skills, child pr tecti n training andexperience the reality L nd n street li e t make themexcellent additi ns t the sch l sta . Teir recruitmenthas been a great success, and they quickly became highly respected and valued. our appr ach has been emulated in

ther sch ls, especially academies.

Tese lay heads year have the time t meet and c unselparents: a parent is never t ld the head year w nt beavailable until a er sch l. Tey als visit primary sch lsand liaise with l cal agencies such as s cial services. N tunexpectedly, s me y unger teachers n w want t bem re inv lved in the past ral side the sch l, s wewill pr bably create s me assistant past ral p sts r these

sta . But the p licy and visi n remain the same: s me j bsin sch l can be d ne just as well, r even better, by n n-teachers; these are ur c re sta at CoLA.

We take an inn vative appr ach t ther r les t .


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Supervisi n in the playgr und and dining halls is carried utby year assistants, wh als rec rd lateness and administerparents evenings, and are line managed by the heads year. w these year assistants have bec me teachersand three are training as learning ment rs. We empl y amanagement in rmati n services manager, wh is alsthe examinati n cer and versees the pr ducti n allrep rts. He is a piv tal gure in the sch l, taking n r les

en carried ut by a vice principal. A er all, sh uldnt viceprincipals be using their expertise t enhance the learning

the students?

Freedoms or governance and stafng

G vernance and sta ng are tw imp rtant areas wherethere is m re reed m r academies. Tese are c urseintricately linked. H w we teach ur students has a l ngterm e ect n the wealth and stability ur nati n. Itis thus vital that the academy s luti n is expl red in ull,particularly in relati n t the g vern rs wh c ntr l thesenew sch ls and wh they ch se t lead, manage andteach in them.

our experience at the City L nd n Academy ers

an insight int h w these reed ms can make a di erence.And while this change has been enc uraged by ur

unding agreements, it has been driven by the practicalyet adventur us appr ach g verning b dies and seni rleadership teams. Te imp rtant r le that g vern rs take inthe running any sch l gives them a heavy resp nsibility

r the utures the c untrys children. Academy

g vernance all ws them t carry ut this resp nsibility inan engaging and valuable way. By d ing s , the g vern rsenrich the learning the student; their w rk and presencein sch l create an awareness that sch l is n t in is lated


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interlude but an ng ing part li e. Tis awareness all wsstudents t view their sch l achievements as part theiruture success rather than just achievements r their wn

sake. o c urse, there are many ther sch ls where thesame might als be said, but I believe it is particularly true

academies and that is s mething r which ur g vern rsand sta can be particularly pr ud.

Martyn Coles has been Principal o the City o London Academy, Southwark since 2003. He was previously Head teacher o St. Pauls Way Community School and ArtsCollege in ower Hamlets or eight years. He is a member o the Council at the Institute o Education and the Head teachers Re erence Group at the DCSF.


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CurriculumMichael Wilshaw

A new appr ach t the curriculum and a str nger h me-sch l c ntract have been imp rtant reas ns r thesuccess M ssb urne C mmunity Academy, the rst city academy in east L nd n, which pened in 2004 n the site

Hackney D wns Sch l.Hackney D wns had been a sch l with such l w

standards that it was branded by the C nservative

g vernment in the 1990s as the w rst sch l in Britain.But with the reed ms the academies have br ught withthem, M ssb urne has been able t achieve remarkableimpr vements in standards.

one the m st imp rtant acets academy status hasbeen the reed m t m di y the nati nal curriculum by withdrawing identi ed children r m s me mainstream

subjects. Tis has helped t raise standards by all wing theacademy t cus n undati n skills and rganise a range literacy, numeracy and catch-up classes at Key Stage 3,

particularly in Year 7 (aged 11 t 12).Alth ugh s me the unding we receive t refect

ur independence r m the l cal auth rity is used t buy back services r m that auth rity, much it is retained tapp int additi nal high level teaching assistants. Under theguidance the academys special needs c - rdinat r, they are devel ping a range interventi n strategies includingreading rec very, acceleread/accelerwrite 1 and c mputer-


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based individual learning pr grammes. As s n asy ungsters reach their literacy and numeracy target levels,they return t the mainstream curriculum.

Te academys assessment and tracking systems sh wthat pupils in Year 7 make remarkable pr gress. Havingstarted with just 62 per cent students achieving Level4 (the nati nal average) in English and maths, 90 per centachieve the nati nal average in the end year pr gresstests. S me pupils wh entered ur academy with utsc ring in the Key Stage 2 nati nal tests (last year inprimary sch l) are n w achieving the nati nal average by the end Key Stage 3 (age 14).

M ssb urnes Year 7 building, ne six small sch llearning areas, als acilitates transiti n arrangements

r m primary sch l. Pupils have their wn dedicatedspace in the rst year sec ndary educati n, all wingsta t cus intensely n the needs the trans erring yeargr up and ensure that they d n t have as much m vementar und the academy as ther year gr ups. Tis pr videsmuch needed stability at a time when many pupils see theirlearning su er.

At the same time, ur inn vative nurture gr ups at Key

Stage 3 (ages 11 t 14), taught mainly by primary trainedteachers wh are c mmitted t these gr ups r 80 per cent

the curriculum, are having a maj r impact n attainmentlevels r ur l west achieving students including th sewith statements special educati nal needs.

Tis curriculum w rk is c mplemented by an academy h me-sch l c ntract that emphasises t parents that ur

expectati ns are high. Parents have t c mmit t the eth s the academy, with its structured learning envir nment,immediate and e ective sancti ns (including Saturday m rning detenti ns when necessary), a rig r us uni rm


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p licy and a l nger sch l day with a timetabled extensi npr gramme. our sp ns r, the late Sir Clive B urne, playeda crucial part in rmulating this c ntract and made timet see parents, c llectively and individually, t explain tthem the rati nale r each clause in the c ntract. Alth ughthe academy aced a number bjecti ns r m a smallnumber parents in the rst year perati n, the actthat we n w have ull parental supp rt r the c ntract isa testim ny t parental percepti n the academy as wellas Sir Clive B urnes p wers infuence and huge degree

charm.

Grasping the Hackney nettle

our independence is an imp rtant part the success such inn vati ns, and they stand in sharp c ntrast withthe hist ry ur sch l site. A er a series very p rinspecti n rep rts an Educati n Ass ciati n, app intedby then Secretary State r Educati n, Gillian Shepherd,cl sed Hackney D wns in 1995 and all cated the childrent ther sch ls in Hackney and bey nd. Te site lay derelictuntil a decisi n was made by the Lab ur g vernment in2001 t dem lish the ld building and replace it with a

new academy. Te cl sure Hackney D wns, alth ughc ntr versial at the time, was the right decisi n, and many w uld have argued that it was l ng verdue.

Tirteen years later, it is interesting t refect n h wthe huge investment in educati n allied t the expectati nthat sch ls sh uld be m re pen and acc untable rper rmance, has led t a greater int lerance ailure.

Tere is n w b th a p litical and pr essi nal c nsensusthat sch ls with c nsistently l w standards sh uld cl ser be subject t structural change thr ugh amalgamati nr ederati n with m re success ul sch ls. It is n t


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unreas nable t suggest, there re, that in the presenteducati nal climate, Hackney D wns w uld n t havelanguished r s l ng.

Te ailure Hackney D wns and ther sec ndary sch ls in Hackney, an ine ective l cal educati n auth rity and a mismanaged c uncil cast a depressing spell verthis part L nd n. As a c nsequence, a large number Hackney pupils (40 per cent at the age 11 and 70 per centat 16) v ted with their eet and decided up n educati nalpr visi n utside the b r ugh.

Radical decisi ns were needed t impr ve the edu-cati nal pp rtunities r Hackney y ung pe ple. In 2002,the then Secretary State r Educati n, Estelle M rris,grasped the Hackney nettle by creating an independentn t- r-pr t educati n trust (Te Learning rust) inHackney, chaired by Sir Mike mlins n, the rmerchie inspect r sch ls. Te rusts missi n is t raisestandards in Hackney acr ss the phases and t ensure thatHackney parents have c n dence in l cal sch ls. Te

rust quickly saw the pp rtunity pr vided by the academy capital pr gramme t replace underper rming sec ndary sch ls as well as creating additi nal sch l places. Five

academies are planned and three already pen in excitingnew buildings.

Te birth o Mossbourne

M ssb urne, the rst the devel ping academy pr gramme, is sp ns red by a rust set up by Sir Clive, asuccess ul Hackney-b rn entrepreneur and businessman,

wh wanted t put s mething back int the c mmunity r m which he came. opening in 2004 with ne yeargr up 180 students, we are building year n year int a1,200 11-18 academy. We currently have ur year gr ups


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at M ssb urne with ur Year 10 students preparing rGCSE examinati ns next year. W rking in a beauti ulRichard R gers designed building, the academy is pr vingt be extremely p pular, with ver 1,400 applicati ns

r 180 places in Year 7. Te pupil intake is genuinely c mprehensive refecting the Hackney pr le at sec ndary trans er. S me 34 per cent students are n the specialneeds register, including 55 students with statements

SEN. over 40 per cent students are entitled t reesch l meals and 38 per cent children have English as asec nd language. Te sch l p pulati n is representative

Hackney and is ethnically and s cially diverse.Alth ugh many ur students are s cially dis-

advantaged, M ssb urne is achieving well ab ve nati naln rms. our rst public examinati n results at Key Stage 3put us at the head the value added nati nal league table,with ver 90 per cent students achieving at least a Level5 (the expected level) in the c re subjects English, mathsand science. Tese remarkable results sh w that studentsare making at least ur terms m re pr gress than thenati nal average. o sted rec gnised ur achievementswhen it described M ssb urne as utstanding in their

inspecti n rep rt 2006.2

Using our reedoms to support learning

M ssb urne is achieving success n t nly by engagingin g d educati nal practice but als by ully usingthe reed ms given t the leadership and g vernance academies. In additi n t ur inn vative curriculum and ur

h me-sch l c ntract, this independence is als refectedin a sta c ntract that enc urages curricular inn vati nand supp rts ur reed m t reward ur sta better.

Sir Clive and the Hackney Learning rust were insistent


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r m the start n pr viding a sta c ntract which didn t prescribe h urs w rk but simply required sta tc mmit themselves t the eth s the academy and thecurriculum, and rganisati nal structures that w uld meetthe needs the students. Te rusts view was that a n -h urs c ntract sh uld treat pr essi nals as pr essi nals.A 32-h ur teaching week, curriculum extensi n rstudents bel w level, additi nal literacy and numeracy b ster classes, and Saturday m rning activities, are very much seen as part every member sta s pr essi nalduties. With ut a l nger teaching day and a structuredextensi n pr gramme, ur students w uld n t be achievingtheir present levels. Te sta rec gnise this. Te rust hasenc untered little r n pp siti n t the c ntract r mthe pr essi nal ass ciati ns because we have ensured thatsta are n t verl aded and that c ntact rati s and c verduties are kept at reas nable levels. Meetings are kept t aminimum and en take place be re sch l s that sta can ully engage in ur extensi n pr grammes.

Te wel are sta is given a high pri rity at M ssb urneand each Head Learning Area is, within a dev lvedmanagement structure, given the resp nsibility ensuring

that newly quali ed teachers and th se in the early years the pr essi n are given maximum supp rt. Alth ugh there isn central sta r m at M ssb urne, sta w rk c llab ratively in departmental teams in each Learning Area.

M re ver, the academys reed m t devel p urwn pay and c nditi ns p licy has meant that we have

been able t reward sta r w rking these l ng h urs

by ering n t nly c mpetitive salaries but als a range incentives including end year per rmance relatedb nuses, rel cati n c sts, subsidies r childcare and rustappr ved sta l ans. Tese nancial incentives have n t


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nly b sted m rale but have als helped t retain g dsta wh might therwise have le L nd n because thecapitals high living c sts.

Sir Clive and the Learning rust played a big part inthe academys success and in the devel pment urcurriculum. Sir Clive, wh sadly died in January 2007,dev ted huge am unts time t setting up the academy and w rked with me and ther members the rust nits educati nal visi n. He had a large netw rk businessass ciates and riends wh c uld advise the academy na range issues r m human res urces t nance and

undraising.Sir Clive was hungry r success and int lerant red

tape and the petty bureaucracy which s metimes standsin the way pr gress. He made weekly, and s metimesdaily, visits t the academy. Te students, sta and parents,hugely appreciated his interest. He was passi nate thatM ssb urne sh uld succeed and deliver r Hackney children. Alth ugh his wn experience sch l was

ar r m g d, Sir Clive underst d the imp rtance educati n in an increasingly c mpetitive w rld. He wasinsistent, r example, that the academys specialism

sh uld be In rmati n and C mmunicati n echn l gy s that y ungsters living n the d rstep the City L nd n and Canary Whar c uld gain the necessary skillst acquire a j b in the ever expanding nancial servicesindustry.

Clive is s rely missed but the rust, under its new Chair,Sylvie Pierce, c ntinues his g d w rk. Its members pr vide

supp rt and challenge and are ambiti us that we sh uldachieve excellent GCSE results t build n the utstandingKey Stage 3 sc res ( ur target at GCSE is that 80 per cent

pupils sh uld achieved at least 5 A*-C grades, including


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English and maths). I we hit this target n t nly will ur value added sc res be extremely high, but ur Year 11students can l k rward t c ntinuing their educati nat M ssb urne in a brand new sixth rm building t bec mpleted in 2009.

Te success M ssb urne and the p pularity thether academies are changing the image Hackney. M re

parents are pting t keep their children in Hackney sch lsand the academy pr gramme has injected a new dynamismint l cal pr visi n, helping t lever up standards at b thKey Stages 3 and 4 in sec ndary sch ls acr ss the b r ugh.M ssb urne has replaced ailure with success. We aredem nstrating that we can raise standards by implementingthe central visi n academies that with independence,inn vati n in ur curriculum, entrepreneurial leadership,and sheer hard w rk we can make a lasting di erence tthe lives children in disadvantaged areas.

Sir Michael Wilshaw is Principal o Mossbourne Community Academy and is seconded as Director o Education at ARK,a charitable education trust, which is developing a number o academies in London and Birmingham. Sir Michael has

been a secondary head teacher or 22 years in inner London.From 1985-2003 he was Head o St Bonaventures school inNewham. He was knighted in 2000 or services to education. As a recently designated National Leader in Education,Sir Michael is o en asked to speak on school improvement issues. Sir Michael has been asked to mentor a number o principals, as well as providing advice to the DCSF onacademy-wide issues. He was a member o the AdvisoryCommittee or the recently published Childrens Plan.


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Notes1 A c mputer-based pr gramme that uses structured ph nics timpr ving reading and writing.

2 www. sted.g v.uk


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All-through academiesRichard Gilliland

Te c ncept an all-thr ugh academy where childrenare in educati n r m the age three t eighteen seemedrev luti nary when we suggested it as a m del r Linc ln.o c urse, the idea was hardly new. Many public sch lshave l ng perated an all-thr ugh system and s me thet p ranking nati ns in the vari us internati nal leagues,including Finland, have all-thr ugh sch ls as the n rm.

And with g d reas n: children m ving r m primary tsec ndary en experience regressi n; m re ver, it hasbeen sh wn that the disrupti n, lack c ntinuity and theneed r the sec ndary sch l t reassess and re-gr up haveled t this phen men n. Year 7 is en, at best, a h ldingyear; at w rst it is a year where children g backwards, n tleast in basic skills.

Bene ts rom an all-through approach

Students r m disadvantaged backgr unds can en eelthese pressures m re keenly than thers. I their h me livesare n t settled, sch l can be the stabilising infuence ntheir lives. Any disrupti n t that pattern can have a negativeimpact n pr gress. In c nsidering the wh le c ncept anall-thr ugh academy h wever, there is n t a great deal hardevidence either r r against the c ncept within the Englishstate sect r. Te Nati nal C llege r Sch l Leadershiphas undertaken research int existing all-age sch ls and


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identi ed that their bene ts included a reducti n in barrierst learning and students en had a greater understanding their c mmunity.1Fr m a management perspective, they identi ed the

bene ts distributed leadership and the act that sta wereinvig rated by the act that all thr ugh academies are seenas new and exciting. 2 Fr m an ec n mic perspective they were seen as being excepti nally g d value r m ney.

s me extent the decisi n t embark n an all-thr ughacademy is an act aith. But acts aith d n t need t beblind; they can be based n c mm n sense. And c mm nsense w uld suggest that creating an envir nment wherechildren are kn wn r m a very early age, where parentsare kn wn and inv lved in a sch l c mmunity r l ngerperi ds, where relati nships can be built up and trustdevel ped, including, where necessary, giving additi nalsupp rt t amilies t enable them t d their very best rtheir children, will all lead t advantages r the children.

Research l king at all-age sch ls elsewhere in thew rld has indicated that where the key principles an all-age sch l are well devel ped, these sch ls have stunningsuccess. Te principle regarded as key t success is inv lving

every ne in a participative appr ach t the educati n the y ung pe ple and, thr ugh this, devel ping a sense

wnership a c mmunity sch l. Tis enables the sch lt bec me m re engaged in the c mmunity and the parentsm re inv lved in the li e the sch l. Tis enhances thechildrens educati nal experience. By ensuring c mmunity devel pment is a central part an all-age academy a

learning culture can be devel ped which bene ts all, n t just th se sch l age. Te successes identi ed r mpr jects in ther parts the w rld have indicated that

en all-age sch ls help t impr ve sch l attendance,


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pupil m tivati n and per rmance, especially in literacy.one the reas ns r this is the increased inv lvement parents, the increased quality teaching and the increasedlevels c n dence am ngst the students.

Our plans or the Witham Academy

Te Witham Academy will c mprise the current J sephRust n echn l gy C llege, M rland In ant and UsherJuni r Sch ls. Te new build is scheduled t be c mpletedin 2010, but r the rst tw years ur existence as anacademy we will perate n the existing sites. Te intenti nis that ultimately the academy will pr vide educati n

r m pre-sch l t 19 and, when ull, will have a studentp pulati n ab ut 1,000. Te academys specialisms willbe business studies and enterprise and per rming arts. Weare particularly keen t devel p an experiential learningappr ach t the teaching business studies and enterpriseand are rtunate t have a partner sch l in Bruneck in Italy that we can w rk with in a highly inn vative appr ach tthe teaching this subject. In Bruneck the business sch l

perates a virtual rm appr ach t teaching, creating,quite literally, premises and p sts, and trade with a wider

netw rk sch ls in n rthern Italy, s uthern Germany and Austria. Tere are quite spectacular trade airs held,n rmally in Innsbruck, and we are l king rward tbeing inv lved as an ass ciate member.

We will set up ur wn virtual rm, based up n apurp se built acility, and h pe t begin trading with urpartner sch ls very early n in ur li e as an academy. Tis

appr ach is highly e ective in enabling y ung pe ple tgrasp the realities w rking in a business envir nment.Similarly, with per rming arts we are l king rward

t the pp rtunity t devel p what is already a s und basis


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pr visi n. We h pe that by devel ping these acilities wecan als enc urage even m re c mmunity inv lvement inur academy. Crucial t the ultimate success ur pr ject

is that we are very much a c mmunity based academy. Wewill be w rking very cl sely with the adjacent c mmunity centre t enhance and devel p urther pp rtunities

r l cal pe ple t avail themselves n t nly uracilities, but pp rtunities in a wh le variety ways.

Tr ugh this inv lvement, we believe that there will be a very p sitive impact n percepti ns y ung pe ple neducati n in general and this will help us in ur drive traise standards.

Overcoming parental concerns

Parents inevitably have genuine ears and the press d esmuch t create an image the ad lescent h dy as a

gure ear and terr r. Tere re, s me parents ndthe th ught having y ung ad lescents mixing withtheir vulnerable ve year lds daunting. H wever all theanecd tal evidence suggests that the lder students react very p sitively t being inv lved with y unger studentsand can assume a much m re resp nsible attitude when

ar und y unger children.Certainly, the evidence we have t date is that this is

exactly what happens. Students like t take resp nsibility,they like t ment r, and they like t help in rganisingactivities such as sp rts events, clubs and extracurricularactivities. Creating an all-thr ugh academy which is based

n a h use system that includes children all ages in cl ser

and cl ser ties creates a str ng amily b nd.Enabling teachers t devel p cl se w rking relati nshipswith parents and amilies ver a l nger peri d andall wing agencies t w rk with the sch l with a greater


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degree certainty ab ut the uture d es impact p sitively.Quite en the parents disadvantaged children havethemselves had very negative experiences sch l. Tatpattern c ntinues when their c ntact with their childssch l primarily inv lves the sch l c mplaining ab utthe behavi ur r pr gress their children.

Belonging to a group

An all-th ugh atm sphere engenders a sense bel ngingt a gr up. And that is s mething that c ntinues thr ughint the sec ndary sch l. We are all amiliar with st ries

parents talking at the gates and bec ming inv lved in theprimary sch l undraising activities and supp rt theirsch l generally. But that sense parental inv lvement t

en dissipates as children get lder: their inv lvement intheir childrens sec ndary sch l is very di erent r m thatin m st primary sch ls. An all-thr ugh academy all wsthat very str ng desire that parents have t be inv lved tc ntinue int the sec ndary phase. Tis pp rtunity tkeep that cl se relati nship g ing, backed by a c ntinuedpers nal t uch teachers and sta chatting, in rmally keeping parents in the l p, seems t be crucial t

addressing the imp rtant issues that will a ect the childsuture.

o c urse, there are practical issues that need t beverc me; very simple issues such as arranging dining r

every ne. A 16-year ld b y needs very di erent diningacilities r m a 5-year ld recepti n child. H wever, these

are all issues that can be met with imaginati n, in creating

the appr priate acilities, but the ability t share acilities aswell as being c st e ective, d es enhance pp rtunities rall the students. M re ver, there are bvi us advantagesin pr viding the pp rtunity r primary age children t


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have the bene t sec ndary sch l expertise in specialistsubjects such as techn l gy, science and sp rt. Perhapswhat are less bvi us are the bene ts that primary teachersand the primary experience can bring t the sec ndary sch l in their creati n a di erent educati nal climateand an envir nment which makes y ung pe ple eel m rec m rtable. It has en been remarked up n by o stedinspect rs h w inviting primary sch ls can be when,

r example, childrens w rk is widely n display, en inmarked c ntrast t sec ndary sch ls. Similarly, primary sch l teachers inevitably have t take a h listic appr acht the childrens educati n while in the sec ndary sch lit can be ragmented. Indeed, the m ve r m a h listicprimary educati n t a ragmented sec ndary appr ach is

ne the reas ns cited r di culties in transiti n at theage 11.

Joint experiences in a team approach

Te creati n an all-thr ugh sch l can enable the skillsand experiences b th primary and sec ndary sect rs tbe br ught t gether r the bene t the children. Fr m apr essi nal devel pment p int view the pp rtunities

are endless and sta within Witham Academy are already l king rward t the pp rtunities t taste li e in an thersect r the educati nal w rld. Te experiences gainedcan nly enhance the individual member sta s skillsand abilities.

In sum, the all-thr ugh m del pr vides a win-winsituati n r every ne. It all ws r the c st e ective use

acilities and r the creati n a c mmunity sch l inthe widest sense. By embracing the Every Child Mattersagenda, as well as the c ncept extended sch ls, webelieve we will be able t make real pr gress in raising


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standards and in breaking the cycle deprivati n whichhas bedevilled s many disadvantaged c mmunities verthe past decades. At Witham Academy we are c nvincedthis is the way rward and we l k rward t m reand m re academies j ining the ranks the all-thr ughsch ls.

Richard Gilliland is currently the Head o Te PrioryLincolnshire School o Science and echnology (LSS ) and the Executive Head o Joseph Ruston echnology College.Be ore becoming the Head o Te Priory in 1997 he wasa head teacher or nine years in Derby and previously aDeputy Head at De Aston School in Lincolnshire, St JohnsSchool in Episkopi, Cyprus and Gloucester School in Hohne,Germany. In September 2008 he will become the ExecutiveHead o Te Priory Federation o Academies rust whichwill incorporate Te Priory Academy LSS , Te PrioryWitham Academy and Te Priory City o Lincoln Academy.Te Witham Academy will be an all-through academy; theother two academies will be 11 to 18.

Notes1 H Swidenbank, Te challenges and pp rtunities leading and

managing an all-age sch l, NSCL, 2007.2 Pr ess r Alma Harris de nes distributed leadership as leadership atall levels in an rganisati n which is extended and enhanced t build

rganisati nal capacity.


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Community Philip OHear

our linguistic, religi us and cultural diversity enrichesCapital City Academy, in Brent, N rth L nd n. We arepr ud the harm ny, mutual interest and respect sh wnby ur students. N netheless, the range and nature the student p pulati n p ses signi cant challenges. ourl cality includes s me the m st deprived in Britain andthe c mmunity su ers r m high rates ill health, teenage

pregnancy and gun and kni e crime.We meet these challenges by engaging ur l cal

c mmunity and drawing int ur sch l every r lem del success we can identi y r create. We want thec mmunities we serve t see the sch l as their place rlearning and devel pment.

Capital City Academy pened in September 2003,

replacing a predecess r sch l where an average just12.5 per cent pupils gained ve g d GCSEs in its lastthree years perati n. 92 per cent ur students havean ethnic min rity backgr und (with 45 c mmunitiesrepresented) r were b rn verseas. our three largestethnic gr ups are Black Caribbean (17 per cent), Black S mali (10 per cent) and White British (7 per cent) but

ur pupils backgr unds extend acr ss the w rld. As anacademy, p pularity with parents has br ught m re l caland stable c h rts, but many ur pupils d nt stay thec urse. our high pupil m bility refects the c nsiderable

Documents

014. Academies - Boarding