Not so independent afterall

Despite protests from our sector, Government ministers insisted on employing the term "independent" to their Academy programme. We did not make enough fuss at the time in pointing out that these Academies were not "independent" in any real sense of the word. Afterall, Academy Principals cannot decide their admissions policy, determine what curriculum they teach, or employ the teachers whom they want in the way that HMC and GSA schools can.

Now even their alleged independence is being challenged. Stephen Patriarca, the Headmaster who oversaw the transition of William Hulme's Grammar School in Manchester from an HMC independent school to beoming an Academy in 2007, has criticised the level of Government intervention [See Daily Telegraph 11/03/09]. Coming as it does just days after a delegation of academy principals wrote to the Government, saying their attempts to improve education standards were being "increasingly hampered", it is yet another indictment of Government education policy.

If the Government want to tap into harness the expertise of our independent sector ["to borrow our DNA"] then they need to appreciate that true independence is the key to our success.