ACADEMY SYSTEM IN BRITAIN

Academy System in Britain



Abstract

The underperformance in educational institutions and the increase in demand for the school places have made the UK Government response through an academy programme. In March 2000, Secretary of State for Education David Blunkett launched the programme stating that it is to promote greater diversity as a radical approach and to break the cycles within the inner cities of failing schools (Taylor, 2004). Charter Schools of the United States are the closest competitors to the academy programme of UK. Increased corporate culture and standardization is promoted with the continuously rising trend which paves way for the parental concerns related to inadequate schools, promotions of innovation and diversity. The Conservatives developed City Technology College in 1980s which closely resembles the modern academic initiative of UK. The lessons of the comparators reveal that they have contested legacies and there is requirement for a longitudinal research. Sponsors have a pivotal and controversial role in the academy programmes. Sponsors invest about £2 million in the schools and appoint the governing body in the chosen school. Sponsors can use the public funds for any promotion of religious or commercial interest. There have been concerns where the sponsors have been known to have unaccountable powers. Related to the pay and conditions, the academies are exempted from the national agreements. New staff isn't covered by the national agreements although staff are continuously transferred from predecessor schools and employed on certain terms and conditions. Negotiations are conducted by the teachers and support staff on sponsor-by-sponsor or school-by-school basis. The local accountability structures no longer have the academies in them and the structure is accountable to the parents who can have an impact on the governance of choosing to send their children or not. The parental choice is highly constrained although most choose to send their children despite the high rates of oversubscription. The governing bodies have reduced the parental representation and reduced the access for the independent appeals and human rights protection. Both optimism and concern were shown by the stakeholders when asked. The paper examines the policy fulfils the objectives, perceptions of the parents, teachers and students and gathers as much data as possible from existing academy practice.

Table of Contents

Abstract2

Introduction5

Background of the Study6

Problem Statement7

Research Questions7

Theoretical Framework7

Significance of the study8

Limitations of the study9

Delimitations of the study9

Literature Review9

Background9

Introduction10

Objectives of the Policy Evaluation11

Scope and the recipients of the Policy Evaluation11

Discussion12

Practice theory15

Organizational change in Britain's education system16

Impact of Academy School policy on British Education17

Evaluation in the context of change management18

Globalization of education system18

Research Methodology20

Research Design21

Research Method21

Sampling and Data Collection22

Sample Size22

Participant's Eligibility Criteria23

Questionnaire Design23

Independent and Dependent Variables24

Participants24

Appraisal limitations24

Validity24

Trustworthiness25

Ethical consideration25

Analysis & Discussion25

Introduction25

Research Question Analysis35

Conclusion37

Future Implications38

References39

Appendix41

Academy System in Britain

Research Title: The Academy System in Britain: Overarching Lessons for Preparing and Supporting Students.

Introduction

English schools are divided in maintained (state schools) and independent (private schools). Since the nineteenth century the school system of the United Kingdom strongly believes in decentralization of decision. In fact the Local Education Authorities (LEAs), 96 in the whole country, which administers the whole system ...