What Do Coalation Plans to Increase Number of Academy Schools Mean Locally?

The new coalition Education Minister, Michael Gove, has announced plans to invite all state schools to become academies. Academies are state-funded schools which have a high degree of autonomy - essentially, local authorities are stripped of their control of schools which opt to become an academy.

Academies have greater control over the pay and conditions of staff, as well as over the way that they teach. They also have the ability to select up to 10% of their pupils based upon aptitude, but no ability or other considerations.

Academies will be given extra money - about 10% more - than other schools, with the money coming out of the budgets currently allocated to local authorities to provide services to schools.

Academy schools are run by "education providers" which, at present, are not allowed to make a profit. The experience of several such providers has shown that economies of scale can be made where they run several schools.

Schools that have been ranked as "outstanding" by Ofted could be fast-tracked through the process as early as this Autumn. With quite a few schools in St. Albans eligible for being fast tracked, many parents, teachers and head teachers must be wondering what the change might mean for them, and whether they're school might benefit from applying.

What do you think? Would your child's school, or the school where you are a teacher or administrator, be better off if it were an Academy? What might be the downsides of this approach locally? We're interested in hearing your thoughts...