12.11.12
£10m academy boost for poorest performing schools
400 poorly-performing primary schools are to be turned into academies by the end of next year, Prime Minister David Cameron is to announce.
The schools in England and Wales will be paired with sponsor organisations to improve education and help them turn into academies. The Government plans to spend up to £10m to develop the links with new sponsors.
There are currently 2,456 academies in the UK, with 823 more in the pipeline.
Ahead of a special Cabinet meeting being held at a leading academy school in the West Midlands, Cameron is to say: “The driving mission for this government is to build an aspiration nation, where we unlock and unleash the promise in all our people. A first-class education system is absolutely central to that vision.
“We have seen some excellent progress with our reforms, including turning 200 of the worst performing primary schools into sponsored academies, and opening more academies in the last two years than the previous government opened in a decade.
“Time and time again we have seen how academies, with their freedom to innovate, inspire and raise standards are fuelling aspirations and helping to spread success. So now we want to go further, faster, with 400 more under-performing primary schools paired up with a sponsor and either open or well on their way to becoming an academy by the end of next year.
“It is simply not good enough that some children are left to struggle in failing schools, when they could be given the chance to shine.”
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