Comparison Of Different Types Of School - New Schools Network

Comparison of different typesof schoolA guide to schools in EnglandJanuary 2015Growing schoolsadvice support ideas

IntroductionThere are an increasing number of different types of school in England, and it can be difficult todistinguish between them. The New Schools Network is an organisation geared towards helpingyou set up a free school, but what separates free schools from academies and maintainedschools?This document is designed to help you distinguish between the different kinds of schools inEngland. The first section provides a brief outline of academies (of which free schools are a type),maintained schools, and other types of school. The second section goes into further detail,comparing these different categories of schools in such areas as curriculum, personnelmanagement, admissions and finance.2newschoolsnetwork.orgCharity number: 1132122

Outline of different school typesAcademiesWhile there are different types of academies in operation in England, they all have the samestatus in law as ‘academies’. Academies are publically funded, independent schools, heldaccountable through a legally binding ‘funding agreement’. These schools have more freedom andcontrol over curriculum design, school hours and term dates, and staff pay and conditions.Free schools, academy converters and traditional academies all have this status, yet there are anumber of differences between them. This is focussed on:— Who sets them up;— Why they are set up;— Whether there is a predecessor school; and— What the ‘provider’ has to demonstrate in order to be given permission to set one up.Free Schools— What are they? New state schools (which includes independent schools becoming stateschools for the first time).Who sets them up? Teachers, parents, existing schools, educational charities, universities,community groups. In order to do so, the group must form a company limited byguarantee and choose members and directors to run it. Free school companies must usethe DfE model memorandum and articles of association, meaning that once constitutedthe company will be an academy trust.— How are they run? Free schools are independent, free from local authority control. Theyare held accountable through a ‘funding agreement’- a contract with the Government.— How do they get permission? Free schools must submit an application to the Departmentfor Education. They must demonstrate that there is a clear demand for that type of schoolfrom the parents in the area.Traditional academies— What are they? Usually, they are underperforming existing schools which are allocated toan academy sponsor who will take them over.— Who sets them up? Academy sponsors can be universities, FE colleges, education charitiesand business sponsors.— How are they run? Traditional academies are independent, free from local authoritycontrol. They are held accountable through a ‘funding agreement’- a contract with theGovernment.— How do they get permission? The Department for Education ‘brokers’ between academyproviders and the underperforming schools.Academy converters— What are they? Usually, they are high performing schools already in existence, who optout of Local Authority control to gain independence and autonomy.— Who sets them up? They are existing state schools.— How are they run? The school governing body signs a funding agreement with theGovernment and are independent from the Local Authority.3newschoolsnetwork.orgCharity number: 1132122

— How do they get permission? Outstanding schools apply to the Department for Educationfor approval.Maintained schoolsWhile the number of academies in England is expanding, the majority of state schools aremaintained schools. This means they are overseen, or ‘maintained’, by the Local Authority. Theseschools must follow the national curriculum and national teacher pay and conditions.There are four main types of maintained schools. Their differences are over:— Who employs the staff;— Who owns the land and buildings; and— Who controls the admissions arrangements.Community schools— What are they? Schools which are controlled and run by the Local Authority.— How are they run? The Local Authority employs the staff, owns the land and buildings anddetermines the admissions arrangements.Foundation and trust schools— What are they? Schools run by their governing body.— How are they run? The governing body employs the staff and sets its own admissionscriteria. The land and buildings are usually owned by the governing body or, in trustschools, a charity.Voluntary Aided schools (VA schools)— What are they? The majority of voluntary aided schools are faith schools. A foundation ortrust (usually a religious organisation) inputs a small proportion of the capital costs for theschool and forms a majority on the schools governing body.— How are they run? The governing body employs the staff and sets admissions criteria. Theland and buildings are usually owned by the religious organisation.Voluntary Controlled schools (VC schools)— What are they? VC schools are like VA schools, but are run by the local authority.— How are they run? The local authority employs the staff and sets admissions. Thefoundation or trust (usually a religious organisation) owns the land and buildings, andusually forms a quarter of the governing body.4newschoolsnetwork.orgCharity number: 1132122

Other types of schoolWhile academies and maintained schools form the majority of schools in England, there are twoother types of school that are different from the ones already discussed.They are different from academies and maintained schools because of:— How they are funded; and— How they can select their pupils.Grammar schools— What are they? State funded schools which select their pupils on the basis of academicability. Grammar schools can also be maintained schools.Independent schools— What are they? Schools that charge fees to attend, rather than being funded by thegovernment, and can make a profit. They are governed and operated by the school itself.They are lightly regulated by government and inspected by a range of bodies.— Who sets them up? Independent schools vary from those set up by foundations in themiddle-ages to those founded by new companies and charities.— How are they run? They are funded by fees, gifts and endowments and are governed by anindependently elected board of governors.5newschoolsnetwork.orgCharity number: 1132122

Differences between school typesBetween these school types there many detailed differences between free schools and academiesand the maintained sector.These centre around:— The curriculum;— The students;— Finance;— Personnel management;— Governance; and— Accountability.These differences are discussed in more detail in the table below.Free SchoolsAcademiesMaintainedIndependentExempt fromExempt fromfollowing National following NationalCurriculum.CurriculumMust followNationalCurriculumMust teachcertain subjectsincluding maths,English andscience. Must be‘broad andbalanced’ incurriculum.Exempt fromfollowingNationalCurriculum.Can focus onspecific subjects aslong as NationalCurriculumrequirements arestill met.CurriculumContentMust teach certainsubjects includingmaths, English andscience. Must be‘broad andbalanced’ incurriculum.Must give‘pupilsexperience ,human andsocial, physicaland aestheticand creativeeducation’.6newschoolsnetwork.orgCharity number: 1132122

AssessmentsRequired toassess students inaccordance withtheir fundingagreement –including at keystage 2 and 4Required to assess Students must bestudents at all key- assessed at all keystages instages.accordance withtheir fundingagreementNot required toperformnationalassessments(e.g. GCSEs).However mostdo.Teaching HoursFree to changeday and termlengthsFree to change day Voluntaryand term lengthsControlled andCommunityschools must gothrough a lengthyconsultationprocess to changeschool day.Free to changeday and termlengthsSpecialisedProgramsMust establish aclear SpecialEducation Needs(SEN) policyfollowing thecode of practicefor SEN andvulnerablechildren.Must establish aclear SEN policyfollowing the codeof practice for SENand vulnerablechildren.Must follow thecode of practice.LA overseesprovision.Must ensurethat facilitiesand access aresuitable forthose withspecialeducationalneeds nitoredthroughinspection byOfsted (Office forStandards inEducation).Student outcomesmonitoredthroughinspection byOfsted.Studentoutcomesmonitoredthroughinspection byOfsted.No mandatoryinspectionrequirementsforachievement.Must reachnational floortargets.Must reachnational floortargets.Must meetnational floortargets.No externaltargets set.StudentsRestrictions onage-range ofschoolAnything between Anything between Depends on LA.the 5-19 age range. the 5-19 age range.None7newschoolsnetwork.orgCharity number: 1132122

AdmissionsNo selection byNo selection bySelection by ability Selection by abilityaptitude permitted. aptitude permitted. allowed forpermitted.grammar schoolsPriority by faithCan prioritise up to but no otherlimited to 50% of 10% of secondary schools.pupils.pupils on aptitude.Can prioritise up to10% of secondarypupils on aptitude.Cap on number of Primary – classesstudentslimited to 30 pupilsby statute.Secondary - NoneCan prioritise up to10% of secondarypupils on aptitude.Primary – classeslimited to 30 pupilsby statute.Secondary - NonePrimary - classesPrimary –Nonelimited to 30 pupils Secondary – Noneby statute.Other – NoneSecondary – NoneOther – NoneFinanceSource of revenueand disbursementPublic - Fundingdisburseddirectly byformulacalculated by theDfE. Fundingvaries betweenLAs.Public - Fundingdisbursed directlyby formulacalculated by theDfE. Fundingvaries betweenLAs. Often haveadditional fundingfrom the academysponsor.Revenue perpupilVariesComparable toComparable tostate schools in the state schools in the significantly bylocal area.local area.Local Authority. 2Variable –dependent onlevel of feeschargedAllocationSchools have fullflexibility toallocate funds asdeemed fit,including servicesnormallyprovided by LASchools havefull flexibility toallocate fundsas deemed fit.Schools have fullflexibility toallocate funds asdeemed fit,including servicesnormally providedby LAPublic – Fundingdisbursed by LASchools free toallocate all fundsreceived but LAkeeps aproportion backfor ‘centralservices’.Private: Feesand bequests no public fundscommittedPersonnel Management8newschoolsnetwork.orgCharity number: 1132122

Teacherselection criteriaNot required tohave teacherswith QTS (exceptSENCO) but arerequired to havea training anddevelopmentplan.QTS requiredQTS requiredAdding nonteachingpositionsFree to hire asrequiredFree to hire asrequiredDepends on school Free to hiretype.as requiredPerformanceincentivesFree to set ownFree to set ownFollow nationalpay and conditions pay and conditions pay andconditions.Free to set ownpay andconditionsPerformancemanagementFree to evaluateand manageperformance asrequired. Inspectedby Ofsted andmust fillconditions.Free to evaluateand manageperformance asrequired.Free to evaluatePerformed byand manageLAperformance asrequired (subject toTUPE restrictions)No QTS requiredGovernanceOwnership ofphysicalassetCharitable trustsCharitable trusts(must be nonprofits, but withinthat could includecharities,parent/teachergroups, universitiesetc)LA forcommunityschools. Othertypes, the landand buildingsmay be ownedby a charity,religious groupor governingbody.Private. Usually,but not always, atrust.Decision-making& fiscalresponsibilityTrustees/Governing bodyGoverning body(and LA) 3SchoolGovernors/TrusteesTrustees/Governing body9newschoolsnetwork.orgCharity number: 1132122