RESEARCH carried out by the Local Government Association has found schools which stayed with their council were more likely to perform better than those converted to an academy.
The study showed 92 per cent of council-maintained schools were rated outstanding or good by Ofsted as of January 31, 2022, compared to 85 per cent of academies which were graded since they converted.
The LGA, which represents councils, said it underlined the excellent track record of council-maintained schools which will need to be convinced of the benefits of academisation. The Government intends to persuade all schools to become academies by 2030.
The research, which looked at school Ofsted ratings between August 2018 and January 2022, also uncovered a number of other findings –
Only 45 per cent of academies in August 2018 were able to improve from ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’, compared to 56 per cent of council-maintained schools
A total of 81 per cent of council-maintained schools retained their outstanding rating, compared to 72 per cent of outstanding academies which received inspections in their current form and not inheriting grades from their former maintained school status.
More than a quarter – 28 per cent – of the same academy cohort saw their outstanding rating fall, compared to 19 per cent of council-maintained schools
It was good the Government announced in the Schools White Paper that councils would be allowed to set up their own multi-academy trusts (MATs), which recognises the important role of councils as partners in education improvement.
Ahead of a possible Education Bill in the Queen’s Speech, the LGA has urged the government to build on this and utilise the knowledge and expertise of councils in supporting schools to improve.
By allowing councils to create their own MATs, schools currently maintained can continue enjoying the benefits of a strong working relationship with their council in a fully academised school system.
The LGA said Government should move quickly in letting councils set up MATS to support struggling schools and quickly add capacity in areas with a lack of strong MATs.
Coun Anntoinette Bramble, Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Regardless of whether a school is an academy or council-maintained, what is most important is that children receive the very best education and start in life. This is something we all aspire to achieve.
“While academisation can be a positive choice in some cases, these findings raise questions over whether a one-size-fits-all approach is a guaranteed way of improving results and strengthening a school’s performance.”
