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Academy Programme

Volume 491: debated on Monday 27 April 2009

25. To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the Academy programme on educational outcomes. (270756)

Academies are having a positive affect on the educational outcomes of children. Improvement rates at GCSE (including English and maths) show academies outstripping the national average. Progress made by pupils on free school meals at academies has also been more than double the national rate of improvement.

In addition, the PwC evaluation said that

“sponsors contribute significantly to school improvement”

and that

“the quality of leadership is generally very good”.