Ealing Schools: Future Academies?

Five schools register interest with new government

Five schools in Ealing, including the much-discussed West London Free School, have expressed an interest in becoming academies according to a new government list.

Academy status would give them more freedom over the school curriculum and teachers' pay.

A list of 1,567 schools which have expressed an interest in becoming an academy in England has already been published under freedom of information laws, and includes 828 schools rated "outstanding" by Ofsted.

Any school wanting to have the chance of opening as an academy by September needs to register with the government by 30 June.

Not everyone is in favour of the possible 'opt out' however and a new group has been set up to campaign against the academies.

The Anti Academies Alliance claim the Academies Bill could take hundreds of the most successful schools out of local authority control leaving local authorities managing schools with the most difficulties, with diminishing budgets.

Meanwhile more than 700 groups are interested in starting a "free school" in England. The free schools policy is similar to the charter schools system in the USA and one run in Sweden.

The government expects the first of the new breed of "free schools" to open in September next year. Local journalist and Acton resident Toby Young is hoping to establish the West London Free School in Ealing.

These top schools could be fast-tracked to academy status by September, stepping out of local authority control, if legislation is passed.

They include primaries, secondaries, grammars and faith schools.

Ealing schools that have already registered as interest are:

Berrymede Junior School

Blair Peach Primary School

Brentside Primary School

Drayton Manor High School

Northolt High School

Wood End Junior School

July 1, 2010