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Academy schools have proved controversial for the coalition government. The number expected to sign up for the new academic year has been less than predicted, and there are still significant problems ahead. Chris Smith reports It won't just be the uniforms that will be new for hundreds of pupils starting the new school year. Across the country, new academies will be opening their doors for the first time in what is a bold experiment. There are still critical employment issues for councils as staff are transferred over. And concern remains about accountability as well as whether local education authorities (LEAs) can remain viable if schools – and cash – disappear. The same questions about equality of access and support for excluded children remain unanswered by ministers. Academies will also be an acid-test for the coalition and particularly education secretary, Michael Gove. The critics are numbered in legions, and their delight was palpable when Mr Gove's officials confirmed 32 were opening this week, and a further 110 schools had academy orders signed. It is below the thousands expected, but Mr Gove says he is confident the number of schools will gather pace. He says: ‘This Government believes that teachers and head teachers, not politicians and bureaucrats, should control schools and have more power over how they are run. ‘That's why we are spreading academy freedoms. This will give heads more power to tackle disruptive children, to protect and reward teachers better, and to give children the specialist teaching they need.' But a large part of this is work provided very effectively by LEAs, and the nuts-and-bolts issues have still not been resolved. Criticisms about the academies were countered with ministerial criticism of admissions lotteries: ‘In a better world, getting your child into a good school wouldn't require navigating a process more fraught and complex than a manned mission to Mars.' Just how radically different the academies are was revealed with the first official openings last week. The £22m JCB Academy in Rocester, Staffordshire, is dedicated to engineering, and welcomed its first 120 pupils who will study a curriculum designed to produce ‘the engineers and business leaders of the future'. They will complete their engineering tasks – set by major UK employers – alongside maths, English, science and German GCSEs. The school is already over-subscribed. It is the brainchild of Sir Anthony Bamford, chairman of the JCB earth-movers firm and a prominent Conservative party donor. His reason for starting the academy was simple. He said: ‘I am passionate about engineering and committed to British manufacturing, but we need the right calibre of young people to ensure that we continue to be a nation which makes things in an innovative way. 'The facilities here are second-to-none, and offer students the opportunity to learn about manufacturing and engineering in a way that is exciting and practical, and aligned to the needs of employers when they qualify in a few years' time.' Elsewhere, the results of a £146m investment is five new academies which are set to open in Manchester. Two of these are the first new secondary schools to open in the city for more than 25 years. One is a £30m school centred on digital communication languages and drama. Another is a £31.5m school specialising in the built environment and performing arts. The others will focus on finance and business, nursing, and health and enterprise. The Manchester academies programme differs from others across the UK in that Manchester City Council is a co-sponsor of each academy. The academies will work collaboratively with other schools across the city. Students have personal mentors as well as round-the-clock access to materials and support to encourage ‘anytime, anywhere learning'. The wider community will also be able to use the facilities. Cllr Sheila Newman, executive member children's services, says: ‘The opening of these five academy buildings is a tremendous achievement for Manchester – and something we are all justifiably proud of. ‘It is the start of a totally new way of educating children to ensure real transformational learning. But the wider problems remain. Council leaders are still concerned they will create a two-tier education system, and the reassurances about how this will be avoided have not become clear. So far, the main role for local authorities has been signposting ways around problems such as transferring employees and guiding ministers who had mistakenly pledged to ‘free' schools from council controls that no longer exist. A ministerial advisory group has been set up to work through the issues, and Mr Gove has relied on councils for advice throughout the process. The LGA remains confident the problems can be ironed out as relations with ministers are good. A spokesman says: ‘Every child has to have the same opportunities. There is a real contribution that councils can make once the details have been ironed out.' n

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New school terms

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