Literacy news
Conservative Party Conference: Academies on the rise, plans for state boarding schools unveiled
6 Oct 2011
Approximately one in seven children in the UK attends a secondary school with academy status, said Education Secretary Michael Gove, in his address to the Conservative Party Conference.
Gove commended his party for greatly expanding the number of academy schools across the country, which are now attended by approximately one million children. He also cited the success of the free schools policy, as a vehicle for social mobility.
Delegates were also addressed by the headteacher of one of flagship academies, outlining moves to provide disadvantaged inner-city children with free access to boarding school education.
Greg Martin, executive head teacher at Durand Academy, outlined plans to open a new middle school in London, and a state boarding school in Sussex, where pupils from the London middle school could progress to.
The speech however, was met with criticism from teaching unions. Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, commented that,
Michael Gove has cynically used his address to the Conservative Party Conference to deliver a slick advertisement for his academies and free schools project, replete with prejudice and misinformation.
Read the full story on CYP Now.
