Forced to be free

Mr Osborne said: "Providing schooling is the single most important thing we can do to help children from a disadvantaged background to succeed." It was also the single most important thing that could be done to boost the long term success of the country, he added. Therefore, he pledged to "set schools free" from local bureaucracy, so by 2020 all schools must have converted or be in the process of converting to academy status. Any that failed to do so would be forced under radical new powers to be adopted by the government.
Academy status … was originally reserved for schools in urgent need of improvement, but since 2010 schools have been encouraged to convert and have been given extra funding for doing so.

BBC news report on the Chancellor’s budget today
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In March 2011, a survey of 1,471 head teachers by the Association of School and College Leaders showed that nearly half (46 per cent) had converted their school to academy status, or intended to do so. Three out of four were driven by the belief that such a move would benefit their schools financially, not educationally.

New Statesman article 2012
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If you teach in a maintained school in England and Wales, you will be paid according to a nationally agreed pay scale, as outlined in the 2015 School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document. If you teach in an academy, free school or independent school, your pay will be set according to your school’s pay policy.

edapt website


Cynical? Me?