PM pushes forward with academies, despite heads fears

15 Sep 05
City academies must not be allowed to opt out of co-operation with other schools in their area, head teachers warned this week as the prime minister announced an acceleration in the programme.

16 September 2005

City academies must not be allowed to opt out of co-operation with other schools in their area, head teachers warned this week as the prime minister announced an acceleration in the programme.

On a visit to the City of London Academy on September 12, Tony Blair said academies were here to stay. 'Academies are providing new hope and new opportunities in the poorest parts of the country, helping to overcome the effects of generational disadvantage and years of school failure,' he said.

But John Dunford, president of the Secondary Heads Association, said: 'Only when academies are in partnership with other local schools will the system as a whole improve. The reform agenda for secondary schools is dangerously overloaded. Schools need more reforms like Imelda Marcos needs more shoes.'

The Local Government Association agreed there was a danger that academies would focus all of their efforts on their own pupils.

Education spokesman James Kempton said: 'Empowering schools to decide their own needs is a positive move but it must be within an enforceable framework that ensures fair and inclusive admissions and allows councils to intervene if things begin to go wrong.'

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