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Work in Progress: The Academies Programme

Study Outline

Academies are all-ability state schools, established where there is evidence of underachievement in deprived areas, or where there is clear demand for new school places. They are set up and managed by sponsors, who come from backgrounds including education, business, the voluntary sector, and faith communities. Academies are intended to raise achievement of their own pupils, their family of schools and the wider community.

The NAO previously reported on the first 27 Academies in February 2007. As at September 2009, there were 200 open academies, with a target for 300 by the start of the 2010 academic year, and an aspirational total target of 400. This follow-up study will evaluate whether the Academies Programme is achieving sufficient improvement in school performance to justify its costs. By considering the sustainability and scale of the Programme, we will assess its prospects for delivering value for money in light of future plans for further expansion.

Our study will evaluate whether the Department is managing effectively the risks to successful delivery, including the robustness of the Department’s plans for transferring responsibility for finance and performance management of open academies to the Young People’s Learning Agency, which is due to come into existence from April 2010 following the wind-up of the Learning and Skills Council.

Partnership for Schools is now responsible for the delivery of new academy buildings, as part of the Building Schools for the Future Programme. As the NAO and the Public Accounts Committee have recently published reports on this Programme, our study will not cover academies’ capital expenditure but will focus on revenue costs.

E-Consultation

The NAO would like to invite organisations and members of the public to submit evidence setting out their views on these issues. If you would like to contribute please send your response through our e-consultation page: Please note that the consultation will close on the 19 March 2010.

Publication Schedule

Our report will be published in Summer 2010.

Members of the NAO Team

Director - Angela Hands

Audit Manager - Frazer Clark

Study Lead – Jonathan Mackay

Email above personnel through our enquiries desk, marking your email for their attention

Media contacts: Mark Anderson

T: 020 7798 7558

M: 07796 937119

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