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14 Dec 2006 : Column 1374W—continued
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether his Department has rejected an expression of interest in a potential city academy since the introduction of these academies. [108475]
Jim Knight [holding answer 11 December 2006]: The Department is regularly approached by a range of individuals and organisations who express an interest in participating in the Academies programme. Some of these interested parties then go on to work with the Department in developing a formal expression of interest document. Expressions of interest outline early proposals for an Academy. Not all expressions of interest result in an Academy being established.
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether his Department has rejected a potential sponsor of a city academy since the introduction of those institutions. [108481]
Jim Knight [holding answer 11 December 2006]: Yes.
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what factors were taken into account when deciding that his Department’s model funding agreement for city academies would not require academies to be treated in the same way as maintained schools with regard to (a) the provisions of section 52 of the Education Act 2002 relating to discipline, exclusions and appeals, (b) the provisions of sections 495 to 498 of the Education Act 1996 relating to complaints to the Secretary of State, (c) the provisions of Part 3 of the Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998 and (d) the provisions of Part 4 of the Education Act 1996 relating to special educational needs. [108031]
Jim Knight [holding answer 11 December 2006]: Academies are independent schools and the statutory provisions that provided for their establishment were enacted by Parliament with the intention that the majority of requirements would be contained within a contract: the Funding Agreement. In many respects the model Funding Agreement includes provisions equivalent to those in maintained school legislation: Academies are required to act in accordance with admissions law and the DfES codes of practice, to follow the majority of the provisions of section 52 of the Education Act 2002 relating to exclusions and appeals, and to have regard to the SEN code of practice and statutory guidance on inclusion. It is not however the Government’s intention that maintained school legislation should simply read across; we need to be clear about its applicability to the particular set of circumstances within which Academies operate.
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which clauses of his Department’s model funding agreement for city academies are open to negotiation with any potential sponsor; and what the scope of such negotiations may be. [108032]
Jim Knight [holding answer 11 December 2006]: There are not designated clauses of the Academies Funding Agreement upon which we are always prepared to negotiate; we consider the individual needs of academies and the pupils they will serve on a case by case basis. Sponsors are made aware from the early stages that we expect them to adopt the model funding agreement in its entirety except where there are compelling reasons, in the interests of the pupils and local community who will be served by the academy, and the effectiveness of the institution, why we should consider amending the funding agreement.
Academy Students
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of students in each academy in January 2006 were resident (a) in the ward in which the school is situated, (b) in neighbouring wards, (c) elsewhere within the local authority area and (d) outside that local authority. [104935]
Jim Knight: The information requested has been provided in the following table.
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