Oral Answers to Questions — Children, Schools and Families – in the House of Commons at 2:30 pm on 30 June 2008.
Vincent Cable
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Treasury)
2:30,
30 June 2008
How many academies he expects to be operational by the end of 2008.
Edward Balls
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
May I request your indulgence and that of the House, Mr. Speaker, and ask the House to join me in offering best wishes to my Department's parliamentary clerk, Mr. Mike Watts, who is retiring from the Department today after 21 years of loyal service?
Eighty-three academies are already open. A further 49 will open this September, and two more in January 2009. As part of the national challenge, we plan to open a further 80 in 2009 and 100 in 2010. That will bring the total to more than 300.
Vincent Cable
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Treasury)
As one who is working with my local council and the Department to facilitate two of those academies in the face of a strong anti-academy campaign from the local Conservatives, may I ask the Secretary of State to help remove one of the obstacles to the programme, namely his Department's insistence that the council carry financial risk from cost overruns although the schools will not be owned or run by the council?
Edward Balls
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
We are very grateful for the hon. Gentleman's support and that of the local authority, Richmond, in connection with the two academies being planned in his Constituency. As he will know, discussions are in progress with the Swedish education group Kunskapsskolan. It is probably true to say that Labour and the Liberal Democrats have always been rather supportive of aspects of the Swedish model, but it does not surprise me that when pushed into power the Conservatives find supporting it rather more difficult.
As for the hon. Gentleman's point about cost overruns, it is important for us to obtain value for money and to ensure that local authorities work closely with the sponsor, the governing body and our Department. We work to get things right on a case-by-case basis, but it is important for the risks to be shared. I assure the hon. Gentleman that cost overruns will not be an obstacle to progress for the academies in his constituency.
Derek Wyatt
PPS (Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MBE, Minister of State), Department for Culture, Media & Sport
Two weeks ago, the final appeal against the Isle of Sheppey academy was lodged by Cheyne school governors. If my right hon. Friend cannot answer my question now, could he possibly make a statement clarifying to parents on the Isle of Sheppey where their children will go this September? They have not a clue at the moment.
Edward Balls
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
It is obviously important for us to provide certainty for parents and for the young people themselves. I am sure that we shall be able to proceed. In our experience academies win the support of both parents and young people, but I am happy to examine the details and clarify the position for my hon. Friend as soon as possible, so that no more concern will be caused locally to children and parents.
David Evennett
Opposition Whip (Commons)
What information are the Government collecting on academies' individual policies in order to understand what makes certain academies very successful, and then spread best practice to others?
Edward Balls
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
It is important for us to do that. What we know from our education system is that strong leadership, great teachers, a motivating curriculum and a culture of aspiration are key ingredients in schools. The reason why, in recent years, academies in some of the most deprived parts of our communities have achieved faster-rising results than the average is the strong leadership that they have established. However, I am keen to ensure that as we expand our academies programme in the coming years we do more to enable the lessons we have learnt from academies to be used in other parts of our school system. There is currently discussion of the possibility of one of the best head teachers in the state system, who works in a community school, moving to an academy in Leeds. Learning can go in both directions, but we must make use of it.
Kate Hoey
Labour, Vauxhall
As the Secretary of State will know, a separate but linked aspect of the academy programme is studio schools, which are more vocation and business-oriented. There is a fund to be bid for, and a bid will be made by the Beaufort institute in my borough. Can the Secretary of State assure me that the money for studio schools will be separate from the money for Building Schools for the Future in the local authority?
Edward Balls
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
I can give my hon. Friend that assurance. We are currently discussing about six studio schools, which are a particular kind of school that brings the workplace into the school environment, and we will make sure that the funding is genuinely additional to the funding that is already going into the Building Schools for the Future programme in the areas that are chosen.
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