Guardian
Government’s flagship schools told to ‘tighten belts’ because of downturn
The government is preparing to cut spending on its flagship academy programme, with schools’ sponsors told to expect a reduction in funding for each new academy school as soon as next year.
Academy leaders have been told to brace themselves for tighter spending from 2010 in the first admission that the government is preparing to reduce its spending in some areas of education.
The revelation prompted accusations from the Conservatives that Labour is backing away from the Blairite scheme of independent state schools, but the government said it was still planning to expand the number of academies.
Academies, which have received nearly £5bn in funding since their launch in 2001, have been told by government officials to “tighten their belts” in preparation for the downturn, according to Sir Bruce Liddington, head of a chain of academies and former chief civil servant for the programme. There are 130 academies currently open, with another 67 due to open in the next two weeks and 100 planned for September next year.
Some schools, principally small rural primary schools, may close as spending is reduced from next year, Liddington said.
Edutrust Academies Charitable Trust (EACT), the academy sponsorship charity he is responsible for, is preparing to step in to rescue small rural schools by running them as chains to cut costs and save them from closure.
The move could be part of a major expansion of academy sponsorship into the primary sector, Liddington said. “It’s anticipated that there will be cuts in the amount of money that goes towards new academies that are opening … We’re all anticipating, and officials are encouraging us to anticipate, that any academies we open from next year will not be as well funded as the academies opening this year,” he said.
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