Academy schools are state-financed schools in England that are financed by the Department for Education and independent of local authority. The terms and arrangements are mentioned in the agreements of individual academy funding. Although most of the academy schools Cheshire are secondary schools yet, some of them are primary schools, some of the remaining are first, middle and high schools.
Source of Financial Support
Academy schools Cheshire are non-profit and self-governing charitable trusts. They may get additional aid from corporate or personal sponsors either in finance or in kind. It is not mandatory to follow the national curriculum but they have to ensure that their curriculum is vast and well-balanced. It should include fundamental subjects of mathematics and English. Periodical inspection is done by proper authority to ensure that they fulfil required criteria and eligibility.
Several Kinds of Academy
Different types of academies are there. Let us have a look at them:
Free School
Free schools are new academies, started since 2011. Generally, free schools are similar in size and shape to other kinds of academies. Let us know about the subtypes of free schools:
- Studio school
A small free school, generally with around 300 students, involve learning process through projects.
- University technical college
A free school for the age group of 14-18, specialising in employment oriented subjects, practical, sponsored by university, employer etc.
Converter Academy
A formerly maintained school is converted to academy status. A sponsor is not needed for a converter academy.
Sponsored Academy
A formerly maintained school can be transformed to academy status. They are consecutively run by a sponsor who is government-approved. Sometimes they are called traditional academics.
Features of an Academy
All academies should follow a vast and well-balanced curriculum but many have the specific focus on one or more areas like arts, science, engineering, computing, modern foreign language, mathematics etc. Like other state-funded schools, academy schools Cheshire should stick to the National Admissions Code. In sponsored academies, the sponsor can influence the procedure to establish the school and also includes its curriculum, specialism, building etc. The sponsor can also appoint governors to the governing body of the academy.
Role of Academy Trust
The academy trust includes exempt charity status, controlled by the department for Education. The trustees are legally accountable for the academy’s operations. The trust works as the legal entity of which the school is a part. The trustees observe overall activities of the school and sometimes appoint a local governing body to take the responsibility. The head teacher and senior management team are there to look after the day-to-day management of the school.
Operators of Academies
The groups of academies are run by a number of private and charitable organisations. The department for education produces a complete list of active academy sponsors.
Academies are non-profitable and self-governing charitable trust. They may receive corporate or personal sponsors in terms of money or kind. Academy trust is there to observe their day-to-day activities. The head teacher and senior management team regulate day-to-day management.