09.01.14
Academies ‘much better’ than local authority schools
Schools that have converted to become academies have improved more quickly than those that have not, new statistics show.
The Department for Education has published a report showing the performance of schools which have changed their status in this way. Converted academies were found to be more likely to have improved from ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’ on Ofsted inspections.
Of the converted academies, 70% achieved five good GCSEs grades, including English and Maths, compared to 59% of local authority schools.
Education secretary Michael Gove said: “This report shows that academies are doing much better than local authority schools. Academy status lets teachers get on with the job, free from bureaucratic interference. Our reforms are raising standards and giving more parents the choice of a great local state school.”
But a spokesperson for Labour said: “It is not the legal status of a school that matters most, it's the quality of the teaching in the classroom.
“David Cameron has watered down teaching standards by allowing unqualified teachers into classrooms on a permanent basis. The Tory-led government is neglecting teacher quality for all schools, which is damaging standards across the country as a whole.”
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