Birmingham academies will learn from mistakes of others

Dec 31 2008 by Andy Richards, Birmingham Mail

BIRMINGHAM’S proposed network of academies will work in collaboration with “sister” schools to ensure difficulties in other parts of the country are not repeated locally.

A report by the Institute of Education, commissioned by the independent Sutton Trust, claimed academies are not doing enough to work with other schools in their neighbourhoods and therefore not fulfilling one of their objectives.

The review of the government’s flagship academies programme also suggested high exclusion levels at new academies could be having a detrimental effect on neighbouring state schools.

Birmingham is rolling out the first of its six academy schools, with plans for two more academies specialising in engineering and digital media for 14-19-year-olds.

A spokesman for the city council said they were taking steps to ensure concerns voiced in the IoE report would not happen in Birmingham. “Under the Birmingham model, academies will be strategically sited in one of six area networks of schools,” the council spokesman said.

“All proposed academies are committed to collaboration with sister schools