View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Birmingham Research Archive, E-prints Repository 'This is an electronic post-print version of an article published in Journal of Education Policy Vol. 24, No. 1 (2009): 101-113. Journal of Education Policy is available online at: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/02680939.asp. URL to published version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02680930802660903. What are Academies the answer to? Stephen Gorard School of Education University of Birmingham
[email protected] Abstract This paper builds upon an earlier analysis presented in this journal. Using official figures for school compositions and for outcomes at KS4 from 1997 to 2007, this paper considers each of the annual cohorts of new Academies in England, from 2002 to 2006. It shows that their level of success in comparison to their predecessors, national averages, their changing compositions, and their changing exam entry practices, are insubstantial. Of course some schools are gaining higher scores since Academisation, but others are gaining lower scores. Using the most recent results available there is no clear evidence that Academies produce better results than local authority schools with equivalent intakes. The Academies programme therefore presents an opportunity cost for no apparent gain. Introduction A programme of City Academies was announced by the Secretary of State for Education for England in 2000, to complement the Specialist Schools Programme. Schools running at-risk, in special-measures, or with poor examination results had not previously been allowed to become Specialist schools.