Church of England now has more academies than anyone else

The Church of England is set to become the biggest sponsor by far of academy schools, ensuring that middle class parents will find it easier to get an exclusive education for their children without having to pay fees for private schools.

The church plans by September 2009 to more than double its academy numbers from 12 to 30, and says it is in “discussions at various stages” on a further 54 – making for a potential maximum of more than 80. Its expansion plans are part of a broader great leap forward in religious groups’ involvement in English schools, which look set in the coming years to increase significantly the proportion of religious schools beyond its current level of just under a quarter of all secondaries.

The United Learning Trust, a Christian charity whose 13 academies make it the biggest current sponsor, plans to raise the number to “up to 25” in “the current phase” alone, according to chief executive Sir Ewan Harper – implying more are likely.

Christian charity Oasis Education also intends a dramatic expansion from its current crop of three academies to 25, according to Rev. Steve Chalke, Baptist minister and founder of the Oasis charity group. Whitehall’s policy of waiving the initial £2m donation demanded by sponsors has also allowed religious organisations to expand their academy programmes rapidly. Chalke said the government had set “no ceiling and no floor” on how much Oasis needed to raise for each sponsored school. In other words, they’re a gift.

Academies were originally designed to cater primarily to deprived communities. But some, such as London’s Lambeth Academy, have become middle-class enclaves.

Almost a quarter of England’s 2,800 state secondary schools already have “a religious character”, according to Whitehall’s latest figures. This number has already been boosted by the Church of England’s five-year plan, set in 2003, to create 100 new secondary schools during the following five years, including academies. David Whittington, head of school development at the church, expected it to meet its target by September, although not all would be “bricks and mortar” by then.

See also:
New schools admissions code will make more parents into liars and deceivers

27 June 2008

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