Academy school success celebrated by DfE

80,000 more children are now studying in good or outstanding sponsored academies, according to new government statistics.

The Department for Education has released new figures which show that there are 380,000 children in England now studying in good and outstanding sponsored academies, up from 300,000 in December 2017.

The government has long argued that under-performing schools can benefit from the network of support that an academy trust can offer, giving parents the opportunity to send their children to a good or outstanding school, where they may not have previously been able to.

The figures also show that seven in 10 previously under-performing council-run schools, that have converted to become sponsored academies supported by a strong academy trust, are now rated good or outstanding by Ofsted.

The proportion of children studying in good or outstanding schools – of all types, not just sponsored academies – has increased in England since 2010, from 66 per cent in August 2010, to 85 per cent in March 2019.

To further build on the government’s ambition to improve how all types of schools across the country are run and ensure transparency is consistent across the education system, the Department for Education will shortly be publishing a new consultation to address the disparity between transparency of financial reporting in local authority schools and academies. This will aim to strengthen local authority schools by bringing them in line with the accountability and transparency standards that academies are already required to meet.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said: "Academies have been at the heart of reforms that have revolutionised education and driven up standards since 2010, and this is just the latest evidence that they are leading the way in turning around some of the most challenging schools.

"It should not be forgotten that academy trusts are charitable institutions, giving back to their communities, and making a huge difference to the futures of thousands of young people – the figures today prove this point loud and clear, and it is important that we tell their stories."